Blades and Arrows
by C. Geng
Summary: Talon has never known what it is to hurt. But with the events that befall him, he finds he becomes well-versed with the meaning more than he ever wished to be. Caught in a series of events involving the fate of all city states, can the Blade's Shadow emerge triumphant from the chaos? Or will he fall to the trap of those in the darkness? (Miss Yaoi Hands gift !).
1. Chapter 1: An Assassin's Grief

_Hey friends. Here's another story on Talon Quinn! I wrote this one as an early birthday gift for my friend, the one and only Miss Yaoi Hands. She's a awesome person and one of the most dedicated Talon Quinn writers on this site! She's really helped me with tips on writing and has been a great source of inspiration for these Talon Quinn stories! If only she was as good at 1v1s as she was writing! (Kidding, please don't kill me D:). Enjoy!_

Sadness?

Talon had never known such as foolish thing.

The under streets of Noxus left no room for pity, no room for mercy. His entire life had been a swift thrust of the blade and nothing more. He did not feel remorse, he did not feel regret and most of all, he did not feel sadness. When he killed, it was with precision. When he made a decision, it was with the utmost conviction and he never turned to look back on what could have been. It was all woven into the very strands of his being. Regret did not exist in the things that he did. If he had a mantra, that would be it.

And yet here he was, drinking his heart out in one of the dirtiest Noxian bars the city had to offer to him.

Hunched over the table in the far corner, he nursed his drink, the chunky sludge tasting horrifyingly bitter on his tongue. It reminded him of tar mixed with the dirt in which diseases and such festered. The black liquid bubbled and frothed as if it had a mind of its own. The assassin's gut churned as he looked down at the drink in his hands, questioning his decision, his judgement slowly becoming muddled.

But he drank. Glass after glass after glass he drank.

He kept drinking because he had no choice. For whenever he tried to stop, the memories and the ghosts of his past haunted him and he swore he could hear whispers and voices in his head tormenting him on his failures. They whispered and murmured of a time he wished to could return to, a time which should have been his glory but instead, was his greatest shame. And the longer he listened to the voices, the more he could feel his temper burning, his sanity slowly ebbing away to the abyss of self-loathing. But the bitter stench and the rotten taste of the alcohol kept him sane and kept the demons at bay.

And so he continued to drink.

He coughed as he downed another glass, the vile liquid burning his throat. The assassin glanced over at the pile of empty beer glasses. He was out of drink.

"Hey," he growled unsteadily to the bartender. The large Noxian man, covered in tattoos and markings of the Noxian underworld, turned towards him. "You, fat man. Get me another drink."

"Eh, on the flip-side, I think that's enough for you tonight. You've already downed six glasses mate. It's impressive, but I can't have people dying of alcohol in my bar." replied the large man.

Talon snarled, dissatisfied with the man's answer.

"I didn't ask for your fucking opinion you fat ass. Give me another."

The man behind the countered narrowed his eyes at the insult but remained calm. "Yeah, you've had enough mate." He motioned towards the door with a flick of his chin. "I think it's about time you got out too. I wouldn't want to have to kick you out by force now. Another body in the street won't make a difference to me."

The Blade's Shadow shifted at the remark. Under regular circumstances, he would have killed them all without as much as a second thought about his deeds. It would have just another kill in a list of dozens. Nothing he hadn't done before. But the drink in his system muddled his brain and blurred the lines of his coordination. Talon doubted he could so much as through a straight punch, much less wield a blade effectively. And as much as he wanted to gut the bartender right now, he knew he wouldn't be able to get far with it. He was just too far gone.

"Fine. Fuck you then," he muttered, throwing several gold coins onto the table as he stumbled from his seat. But the alcohol pained his legs, making his step uneven. He cursed internally as he willed his lower body to move. With difficulty, he eventually made it to the doorway, closing it behind him, shutting off the sounds of laughter and the sounds of voices that came from the others within.

Dam. The voices.

He clutched at his skull as he hobbled unsteadily over to a nearby underpass. Talon collapsed against the cold stone foundation and closed his eyes, sighing as he did so. His stomach churned, the drink he had consumed so recklessly earlier settling uneasily into his gut.

It had been weeks since it had happened. But for the cloaked assassin, every moment of that event seemed to play out in his mind over and over again, endlessly torturing him every time he closed his eyes. He, with what remained of his heart, wished it was all a terrible nightmare, something false that was not true. Talon had even prayed for the first time in a long time. But nothing could ease the scarring memories that haunted his memories. He clenched his teeth as the images began to play out in his head. The sounds and the vivid pictures began flooding back….

 _No…please._

…

It was supposed to have been a simple reconnaissance mission, nothing more and nothing less. And besides, she was skilled. The famed ranger of Demacia, she was no stranger to reconnaissance missions in enemy territories. Nor was this the most difficult mission she had ever accepted for her city-state. He knew personally of her skills and though he often teased her, Talon was confident that she was one of the finest scouts Demacia had ever employed. There should have been no real danger that should have been even taken remotely seriously.

The night before he had held her in his arms. He had watched her breathe peacefully, her body pressed tightly against his. There was nothing more he could have asked for at the moment. The times they were able to spend together was limited by their allegiances so they always appreciated the times they could have.

But right then, he had felt uneasy. As he kissed and nibbled her neck gently to wake her up, he had felt a sense of foreboding, a sense that something was not right.

But Talon didn't believe in superstition. He believed in planning and superior tactics as his mentor before him had. There was no god or force that changed his destiny. There was only his mind and only his actions that shaped his path. For what could he be sure of if he was not confident he could control his own fate?

So he had ignored the feeling in the pits of his stomach and pushed it from his mind, though it still lingered, ghosting over the deep recesses of his mind.

But he pushed it away nonetheless, and as their bodies tangled warmly underneath the sheets and they enjoyed the feeling of each other, he removed it from his mind all together, his thoughts focused solely on his scout.

….

Talon's eyes shot open as he felt a sharp pain erupt in his stomach. He groaned and doubled over as it burned, his fists clenched in agony as he willed himself to not spill the contents over the already dirty streets of the Noxian underbelly. He lay there, helpless, for a long while, the sensation of pain wracking his entire body.

Then, it slowly faded, easing out to a mellow throb.

The Blade's Shadow sat up once more and leaned covered his face in his hands. Shuddering, he began to see visions once more, its pictures slowly warping to life in his mind.

…Was this what regret felt like?

…

Their goodbye been but a regular one. After she had successfully clothed herself without his meddling, he had seen her off by the door. Though that feeling of unease had regrown itself once more in his chest, he had chosen to ignore it and watched his scout swiftly move away with her partner, the large Demacian eagle.

She had gained valuable intel of a possible second invasion on the land of Ionia by the Noxian forces. Though the pact through the Institute of War prohibited any unsanctioned military action by either side, rumors ran through the underground that the High Command had begun to commandeer more troops and supplies for another attack. Supposedly led by the Jericho Swain, soldiers had been seen giving training and Talon had heard many voices speak about its possibility.

It certainly was not too difficult to believe that Noxus would try an invasion without the League's permission. The materials and resources that could be extracted from the fertile land would enhance the growth of Noxus's power families, not to mention its city-state strength. From there, they could even have the chance to overpower the Demacian state, its long-time rival of power. The plan was one of precision and if excited properly, it could have become a plan of reality.

And that was why she was there. The leaders of her city-state were in need of a confirmation of whether or not this threat to their neighboring state was one to be actually taken into consideration. For rumors had the potential to travel wide and far across the land of Runterra. And with the presence of the Black Rose, Jarvan III had all the more reason to be careful. No risks could be taken and everything had to be planned carefully.

…..

Talon attempted to stand, only for his feet to give out beneath him, causing him to stagger unevenly to his knees.

How pathetic he had become. One of the most feared assassins in the entire land of Valoran had been reduced to a foolish drunkard unable to stand on his own. He was sure if the General could have seen him at that moment, he would have received a verbal beating beyond belief. Was this what he had left?

The fallen assassin mustered his strength and stood. He wobbled unsteadily, but stayed upright. Using the gravel beside him as a crutch, he slowly limped towards the direction of the Du Couteau mansion. Darkness had nearly settled by the time his hands pushed open the large engraved steel door of the manor. He breathed in the familiar scent of the house deeply and slowly hobbled inside….

…..

She had not returned for hours after which she had told him to expect her.

He remembered sitting by the bed in which they had shared so many a night in, waiting. He had watched as the great clock that sat in his room ricked, conscious of every second that ticked, every minute that passed, every hour that chimed. Few things could have ever gotten his mind racing as it had in that moment.

His thoughts had flown back to the growing pit of dread that he had ignored at the morning.

 _It couldn't have been._

He had muttered that to himself over and over again as if it was a chant.

Nearly three hours had passed after she had been due back. Talon could not take it anymore. Cloaking himself in his infamous violet robe, he slipped out into the night under the covers of the shadow. Blades in hand and his heart in his throat, he had never moved swifter in his life.

Not when Katarina nearly killed him in a sparring practice. Not when General Du Couteau had gone missing. Not even when he had slain a dozen royal guards had he moved this quickly. But he sensed that he had to now…

….

He opened the door to his room, the darkness of it enveloping him. Rain had begun to pour outside again as Talon collapsed onto the bed. He looked over to the bedside where a small blue and gold chain lay on the side of the bed.

Taking it in his hands, he tenderly ran his rough fingers over the delicate metal, listening to the sounds of its trinkets as it sounded in the silence of his room. And as his eyes ran over this memoir that he had seen thousands of times over, the most painful memory washed over him once more.

…

He had found nothing less than a bloodbath. Noxian soldiers and unidentified mercenaries alike had been strewn across the intel location where Quinn was to have a meeting with a credible informant. Blood and weapons alike were scattered all across the grassy knoll. All around him was the picture of death. Gore and violence were painted everywhere. But Talon did not care.

He moved, almost frantically, as he recognized arrows that belonged to his scout embedded in several Noxian soldiers. Searching as quickly as he could, he looked around, hoping to find anything that could point him to her. But he saw nothing.

Then, he had heard a weak cough.

Talon turned to find a young Noxian soldier bleeding on the grass. The figure was slowly shifting on its side. It was wounded, but still very much alive as it began to struggle to sit up. Against his own instincts, the assassin knelt down to take a closer look at the boy. He recognized a patch labeling the soldier as one of the Noxian Special Forces that dealt specifically with moles in the intelligence groups. But how did they know they had been here?

Upon recognizing his face, the young man had panicked visibly.

"Aren't…are-aren't you the Blade's Shadow?" he had croaked weakly, his wounds slowly ebbing at his life.

Talon didn't answer.

"What happened here?"

The young man shook his head and had begun to close his eyes. Suddenly, he cried out as Talon sank a blade into his thigh.

"Gah!"

"Don't you ignore me you rat! What happened here! Tell me!"

"Please!" the soldier pleaded, in visible pain as Talon ruthlessly twisted the dagger, "Please don't kill me. All I k-k-know is that we were sent here to take care of a leak in intelligence. Th-that's all they told us! I swear I don't know- please, I'm just doing my duty!"

The assassin paused at his words. He wet his lips before asking a question that had burned on his lips from the start.

"Did you kill both of them?"

The boy nodded frantically. "Y-yes! The mole was cut down almost immediately, but we tried sta-stabbing the girl but she fought back viciously before she w-was hit an-"his voice was cut off as Talon sank the blade into his throat, silencing him. He let out a strangled gurgle before his eyes closed. As he pulled out the blade, the Blade's Shadow realized he was shaking. His hands could not steady themselves. They wobbled, blades creaking as if they would fall apart at any moment. And in that moment, the dread in his stomach had exploded. He collapsed to his knees, darkness covering his vision.

He had said that they had both been killed….

But that was impossible! She couldn't have…

 _No…..NO!_

…

Talon's finger suddenly cracked. He grimaced in pain as he slowly released his fist from clamping down on each other. He had been so distracted that he failed to realize that he was nearly breaking his own hand from the pressure. He shook his head at his actions. Had he really become so dull? The champion of Noxus was acting _this_ way? Over a Demacian scout?

He glowered.

….But she had not just been some Demacian scout. She was his scout. His ranger. Deny it as he did, Talon had always known that this connection between them had been different from all the others. For the first time, he had felt whole. He felt for the first time, he did not need to be cold or rough to survive. He felt for the first time with her, he could leave his scars behind. And for the first time, Talon admitted to himself that he needed someone in his life; he needed her. As foolish as it sounded, he could not live without her. He had killed and stole to solve his problems before, but this was not the same. It was too much for him to bear. Weeks and weeks of regret had taken a toll on his mind and he was at a breaking point. He needed to escape it.

Perhaps it was time. Time to give it all up. He looked at his unsteady hands as the still shook visibly, the gold and blue chain beginning to rattle in his grip. He was like a frail old woman now rather than an assassin. Pitiful.

Dam it all. Dam. It. All.

He shakily snatched a blade from his bedside and placed it on his wrist. Talon could not take this torment anymore. The visions, the nightmares, and the voices all were driving him insane. He could barely function now. In weeks, he doubted he would be even able to walk. How could he be an assassin if that happened? What would she think if she saw him? Better for him to die now with dignity than to rot away in his bed. The General had taught him better than that.

He closed his eyes, picturing the violet haired face once last time. He saw her gentle smile, the golden eyes light up as she woke up in the morning against him. The laughter or cute frown she made at his teasing. The way she dashed and rolled as they sparred or the way she made those sounds as he pinned her against the sheets. And most of all, the feel of her soft lips against his own. He could not see it now anymore in person. But perhaps he could see it now.

But before Talon could draw the blade across his vein, he heard a faint tapping at his window. He paused for just a moment before he resumed attention on his task, felling the cold metal rest upon his wrist once more. He drew a deep breath into his lungs.

 _So this was it huh….?_

But it came again. His eyes shot open. Had he imagined that? He had to have….

Putting the blade down, he rushed over to the window only to see a familiar gold and blue eagle tapping eagerly at his window, its once brilliant fur matted against the Noxian weather.

The assassin quickly fumbled with the controls on his window, and after a minute, opened it, allowing the large bird to hop in onto his floor, shaking its feathers everywhere to rid itself of the water. It splashed onto his floor and onto the sheets of his bed. But Talon was not concerned about that. Rather, a small object attached to the bird occupied him.

Trembling, he gingerly untied a string attached to the eagle's leg that held a letter. With Valor watching him carefully, he slowly opened the letter, hands still shaking but now much less. His eyes ran quickly, scrutinizing every word that was written on the damp but still intact message. Throwing the scroll aside, he glanced over at the large bird.

Their relationship was a strange one. They had not become close and kept each other at a weary distance, though they respected one another's distance. Talon had never really considered the eagle to be a friend. After all, they had only met because of the scout. The adjustment at first to each other had been much more difficult than any could have imagined. The Blade's Shadow had assumed they would be loose acquaintances and nothing more. They would owe nothing to each other.

But at this moment in time, he could not have been more grateful to it.

"Thank you." He nodded.

The eagle crowed softly as if to validate his feeling before it swiftly and silently flew out the open window once more. The once broken assassin watched it go, watching as his newfound salvation flew bravely through the stormy night.

 _You have saved me more than you'll ever know…bird._

Returning to the side of their bed, he slowly gently picked up the necklace one more. He noticed that his hands no longer shook when he held it in his grip. Hesitatingly, he tied it around his neck, the sensation of having jewelry of any kind around his neck a completely new experience. In fact, he found it to be quite confining. He had never found the need to wear any of the type. Not even after they had begun to take their relationship seriously had he even considered it.

But he left it. Reaching for his blades, he glanced at the message once more before tucking it away in his cloak safely.

Talon had come to know sadness. He had come to accept that perhaps fate had truly befallen him. It seemed as if the mystical force had always had a thing against him. But now, it seemed he had come find a chance to know joy. And perhaps now, fate had changed its tune as well. With a swift push, Noxus's famed assassin dove into the shadows of the night once more.

 _I'll be waiting in Ionia. – Q._

* * *

 _ **As of now, I am not sure whether or not this will be a one shot or a two shot (is that even a thing) or whether this will develop into a full series. Most likely, it will depend of feedback and whether or no people like this concept or whether or not Miss Yaoi Hands wants this to go on (I already know the answer lol).**_

 _ **Let me know if you enjoyed it or have some parts I can do better in the review section! Cool Cool?**_

 _ **Until Next Time,**_

 _ **-C. Geng**_


	2. Chapter 2: The Scout's Revelation

_Had a lot of great feedback on the first part, so here's another chapter for you guys! This one is a bit longer though, around 5k words I believe. I hope you enjoy as Miss Yaoi Hands does!_

 _"Check your privilege" - Miss Yaoi Hands, 2016_

 _..._

It was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission.

At least that's what the council had informed her of. The briefing was thorough enough but on point as to the regard of her mission. What she had heard didn't surprise her at all.

And besides, it wasn't like she hadn't ran covert operations in Noxus before. Several times she had been given high-risk missions in the territory before and they had gone smoothly without any problem. Her abilities for scouting were substantial for the tasks she was given and it seemed that this was no different. In fact, it even seemed as if this would be easier than the previous assignments. After all, she was to simply only meet the target for information and once she possessed what she needed, she was to report back to the Demacian handlers. There wasn't supposed to even be any actual contact or combat with the any Noxian agents.

But to ensure as much stealth as possible for the mission, she was to leave her companion behind. It wouldn't be easy to conceal such a large animal and would likely jeopardize their chances for success they had told her. And so it was decided that the large eagle would stay in a hidden operating base at the edge of the Noxian border. Still, the Demacian scout felt uneasy about this predicament, their teamwork always being key to their success as warriors. But there was no way that she could have refused such a vital mission for her home-state. And, after bidding her assassin farewell, she moved towards the rendezvous point.

….

The infiltration had been easy enough. Slipping past a relatively few number of guards, Quinn had no trouble moving to the rendezvous spot in time. Moving through the less populated alleyways, the ranger had made good time on her journey. Nothing went quite wrong out the blue.

Upon arrival, it had seemed clear. She could see no movement from the rooftops nor any conspicuous movements from the environment. Her source was sure to keep his trail clean as well to ensure their safety. He assured her painstaking measures had been taken to conceal the meeting. And though he was working under the Noxian head councilors, Demacian sources informed her that he was loyal to their cause. He had helped them before and they had confidence in him he would come through for them again.

So naturally, it came as a surprise when dozens of Noxian soldiers and warriors known as death squad members came streaming in from all directions. Warriors of jet black and blood red armor streamed into the courtyard where Quinn had met with her contact, dark blades gleaming under the shadowed sun. Surrounded and left with no time to react to this situation, they had little choice but to fight for they both knew well that Noxian soldiers never left survivors.

The ranger hadn't been able to do anything for her contact. Of course, he was the information leak and the death squads came for him first for he was the most important target.

Though he wasn't a warrior by trade, he put up a good fight, drawing a dagger and keeping several of the advancing guards at bay while Quinn rolled back and fired as many arrows as she could with her crossbow.

At first, they made good progress. A handful of the invaders quickly went down, blood painting the earth beneath them as arrows pierced their armor. The ranger moved fluidly from firing arrows to quick hand to hand combat before rolling away to fire another round of projectiles. She kicked off of a large man that had tried to lumber towards her with an axe to throw him off balance and shot another barrage of sharp-tipped arrows into the chest of another warrior. And for the moment, the Noxians seemed to waver, their confidence fading as more and more of their brethren fell to the dagger and the arrow.

But as her contact moved to evade a sharp blade that came his way, his foot slipped on a small rock that came loose in the chaos of the fighting. He fell to the ground, his defenses staggered and weakened. And in that instant, the death squads showed no mercy as they advanced upon him, blades and daggers drawn.

Quinn could only watch as a sword was quickly plunged through his abdomen and his body decapitated ruthlessly. He went limp as he lay in the pool of his own blood, the remains of his body lay scattered beneath the feet of the malignant vanguard as they turned upon her.

She dodged and evaded as deadly knives flew all around her. Quinn fired arrow after arrow at the soldiers, but they seemed to be endless. The Demacian scout had rolled to a stop, panting, her breath in her throat as she glared at the slowly advancing crimson and sable armored killers intent on taking her life. Fit as she was, it would be simply impossible for her to take them all down. There were simply too many of them and too few of her. Perhaps it would be best to surrender….

But Demacia needed this information now more than ever. The future of her home depended on her actions now. She could not let them down. She _would_ not let them down. Not after they had given her so much.

With a determined resolve, Quinn charged and landed a flying kick on one of the nearest Noxians to her, sending the man flying backwards into the stone path beneath them. Narrowly avoiding another blade that had appeared moments where she had been standing, she kicked off of larger soldier, notching another volley of arrows as she twisted through the air. She landed gracefully on both feet another handful of Noxians fell, hands clutching at their throat where the deadly object had sprouted.

Suddenly, the ranger let out a shrill cry. She fell to a knee as a flaring pain exploded in her lower leg. She glanced down, only to see a jagged knife embedded deep into her gold and blue greaves.

"Heh". Quinn looked up to see a colossal man standing above her, a wicked grin on his face. His massive arms wielded a seemingly infinite number of those serrated blades, all strapped to his large chest armor. His helmet on the other hand was covered in arrows, no doubt a product of her resistance. He licked his lips as he gloated down at her. "Looks like you're done for girlie. How about you give up now?"

The Demacian scout attempted to jump away, but the molten pain in her leg when she attempted to do so caused her to grimace in pain. The giant laughed at her futile struggle, enjoying the sight of his prey writing on the ground in agony, helpless to escape. His other companions had begun to surround the wounded ranger as well, joining in the rare sight of a helpless Demacian.

"Here little girlie. I'll make you a deal," he chuckled menacingly as he leaned down to look at her hungrily, "Tell us what you know and maybe, just _maybe_ , I'll only let half of my men have their way instead of us all. I'm sure your small size wouldn't like to handle us all."

Quinn snarled, disgusted at his words, "Get lost you sick bastard. I won't tell you a single thing."

"Heh. Fine. Have it your way then little girlie. I think that my men and I actually prefer this style after all," the Noxian leader laughed cruelly.

The ranger was about to retort when suddenly she couldn't breathe. A large armored hand wrapped around her neck, cutting off her air supply and lifting her entire weight into the air. Quinn frantically scratched at the enormous arm that was slowly killing her. "Let…go," she choked, barely able to inhale to get the words out.

"Hmmm," chuckled the enormous Noxian as he slowly surveyed her subtle curves beneath the light armor that she wore. Quinn thought she would be sick as she felt a hand explore at her hips and her stomach.

 _No….no…no_

"You're certainly not the most ah, _well endowed_ lass I've ever laid my eyes on. Still, I think my men and I will have a fine time with you. And I believe that Swain is looking for an exotic pet as well. I can certainly get a favor with him if I turn you in. But first," he glanced around to the other Noxians that had been silently staring in anticipation the entire time, "Who wants to have a go?!"

All of the other men roared in excitement. Quinn gasped as she was dropped to the ground, coughing as she was finally able to draw in sweet air to her deprived lungs. As she recovered, the ranger's eyes widened as she saw men from all sides closing in on her. She tried to kick and resist, lashing out as best she could, even successfully landing a foot in one of the soldier's faces. But in another moment, her hands and feet were pinned down by a set of sweaty hands, the putrid scent of the men was all she could smell.

Quinn's heart began to pound loudly in her chest, the sound of blood roaring in her ears the only thing that she could hear as she felt the horrifying sensation of rough hands pulling at her clothing. She had never felt anything more terrifying in her entire life and she suddenly began to thrash once more, throwing her weight as hard as she could against the hands that held her.

"Quit movin'! Someone knock 'er out!" a voice shouted.

Then, something as hard as a rock struck her head and Quinn slowly went limp, her vision slowly fading to black. She felt a heavy weight get on top of her, pulling away at her now unarmored top.

"Yeah Randler! Give it to that bi-"

The man's voice was suddenly cut off by a gurgle followed by a string of curses by the other Noxians. Quinn could feel the heavy weight once on her back now lifting as well as the sound of scrambling soldiers around her to heft their weapons.

"Holy hell. What is going on? What the hell happened to Randl-GAH!"

Her strength sapped, Quinn could only slowly move her head to look over. She turned in time to catch a glimpse of several figures darting around as the Noxian vandals backed up nervously. Suddenly, a pair karmas emerged quickly from the shadows, gutting several of the crimson warriors before vanishing as quickly as they came.

"KILL THE SCOUT!" Quinn recognized the now panicking voice of the Noxian leader. It turned towards the direction away from her. "STOP HIDING AND SHOW YOURSELVES YOU COWARDS!"

"If that's what ya want you big oaf!" replied a voice charge with energy. It sounded vaguely familiar but Quinn could not exactly place it in her mind. Her mind was slowly fading to black, her consciousness ebbing away as her eyes grew heavy. The last thing she remembered was the deafening roar of what she thought was lighting and the screams of the men around her. She swore she felt the ground crack beneath her and the very air in around her turn tense. Then, everything faded to a numb peaceful darkness.

….

 _Talon smirked, pinning her hands against the sheets as she resisted uselessly. She refused to give in so easily; especially to him of all people. But when his lips came down to her neck where she was sensitive, she had trouble maintaining her resolve. Her body betrayed her when she let out a small cry as his mouth trailed down to her collarbone and her shoulder. The ranger instinctively bucked against him as she felt his warmth against her own._

 _He chuckled quietly at her reaction, "It seems I made you give in already. And you said I wouldn't be able to do it. It seems that I've won the bet. Now you'll have to do what I say."_

" _He-hey. You didn't go by the rules. I said just your hands," she muttered in her defense._

" _Maybe, but you're just too good for me to resist scout. And besides," he let his hands slip under her garments, the ranger unable to contain another moan at his warm touch. He leaned down, his warm breath on her ear, sending shivers down her spine._

" _You're all mine tonight."_

…..

Quinn awoke, gasping for breath.

The first thing she noticed was the pounding headache. She groaned, clutching a hand to her skull.

 _What happened?_

Then, the memories slowly trickled back to her.

The fighting. The dead informant. She sighed as she recalled all of the past events.

 _I guess I'm lucky that I didn't suffer worse for my head injury before I passed out….And speaking of passing out in Noxus, where am I?_

The scout glanced around. She sitting in a small bed, a thin blanket covering her. As she surveyed the situation around her, she noticed that she was still wearing the same clothing from the ambush. Which meant that it was likely that the men hadn't….hurt her, to say the least. Then it was likely that she had been saved and removed from Noxus. But where exactly?

Tossing the blanket to one side, she rolled off the side of the bed and stood. The room was white tiled and the walls were painted a very light shade of green and decorated with a sort of symbol. Quinn squinted at one. It certainly wasn't anything that she recognized. It didn't look like anything Demacian she ever seen but it didn't look Noxian in origin either. Which meant…..

The sudden sound of a door opening made her jump. Quinn whirled around, expecting to find another intruder at her back. Instead, she found herself face to face with a purple skinned creature, a small yellow horn protruding from its head. In its hands it held a staff of some sort, the end decorated in a strange fashion, as if it was almost modeled after a banana. Though the Demacian scout was no mage of any sort, she could tell it was a powerful tool.

"Easy child," the creature spoke, her soft voice putting Quinn at ease, "I am not your enemy. I have been taking care of you for the duration of your stay. Are you alright?"

Quinn frowned. "Yes. Your voice…I feel like I know it from somewhere."

"Ah yes Wings of Demacia, I am Soraka the Starchild at your service," the creature smiled, giving a small bow, "I have been a part of the Institute like you and your fellow representatives have been and have been charged by the Ionian council to heal and watch over you."

"I see."

So that was where she was from. Quinn had seen her several times upon the Rift, but never really bothered to have much of an interaction. The ranger glanced around once more. "Where are we right now actually?"

The Starchild pursued her lips, "You are currently in the heart of the Ionian capital. You were brought over a week ago by the Kinkou Triumvirate under the request of the Ionian Elders. Upon your arrival, you had a moderate head trauma though I have taken care of the problem now. It seems that you have not suffered any other grave injuries on your mission, though I do not know much of it."

Quinn froze in shock at her words. A _week?_ Had she really been out of commission that long? It seemed as if she just fallen asleep for a short while…

What would the Demacian council say about this? They must have been fretting about her mission status. The vital importance of this mission had been stressed to her so many times. What would they think of her? And Talon….oh Talon. Her heart fluttered at the thought of his name.

Talon wouldn't have known about what happened with the meeting. She knew he would have come looking for her past the time of their meeting date. Then, he would have only found dead bodies and he undoubtedly must have assumed the worst. She shook her head, panic rising in her chest. What would he be feeling right now? She _had to_ tell him she was fine.

"Ranger of Demacia? Are you alright?" the Starchild asked, interrupting her darkening thoughts.

Quinn turned to the magenta skinned healer. "I'm fine. But actually, could you do me a favor? I would really like it if maybe I could send a message to someone to let them know I'm fine. After all, I've been here for a week right? Shouldn't I let the Demacian council know I'm alive?"

"That won't be necessary." A voice called from the darkness. The healer and the ranger turned to see a figure dressed in a dark Ionian cloak, a glowing sword strapped to his back. The man seemed to have materialized from the darkness itself as Quinn hadn't even noticed him standing in the room before. His ice blue eyes turned to gaze at Quinn, as if attempting to extract information from her through sheer willpower.

"Shen," nodded the Starchild respectfully.

"I have already informed the Demacians about the current situation. They are fully aware of your status and what has occurred on your mission. There is no need to risk another message lest allow the Noxians to know what we are doing."

"Aren't you…the leader of that group called the Kinkty or something like that?" Quinn frowned.

"It is called the _Kinkou,_ " the ninja corrected, "We are the remaining ninja of the old order in Ionia. But at any rate, the name of what we are does not matter. What is important is that you inform us on what you learned from your informant. I understand that you possess vital information from the meeting in Noxus."

"I don't think it's wise for me to tell you something that I haven't told the Demacian Council yet. They should be the ones to hear the intel first before anyone else," said Quinn.

The large ninja narrowed his eyes at her response. "Do not forget that we were the ones who saved you from your fate. Had we not intervened, your path would have been none the better. You owe the Kinkou this vital information. Besides, this is more concurrent to Ionia's fate than Demacia's. We are allies, but do not assume that we would simply stand by and do nothing about a matter that concerns another war with Ionia, even if we are told Demacia can handle it."

Quinn sighed. He was right, if not completely reasonable. The Ionian ninjas had saved her. There was no doubt about that. By all mean she should have been grateful to them. Still, it didn't sit right with her to give sensitive information to the Ionians first, regardless of whether or not they were close allies with her own city-state.

She shook her head. Whatever. If they couldn't share information between their champions, then how could they call themselves allies? Wouldn't they be on the same level as Noxus?

"Well, if you weren't already aware," she began slowly, "The informant was killed while we were in the process of talking. I wasn't able to save him. We weren't really able to talk for very long, but what he _did_ tell me is that he knows that the invasion plan is very real and not some rumor from a delirious source."

"Did he inform you of who was perpetrating the movement?" interjected Shen.

"No, but before we were ambushed, he told me of his suspicions of General Swain and another co-conspirator." The ranger rubbed her temples, attempting to recall the information as clearly as possible. "He informed me that he was nearly sure that though Swain is a near battlefield genius, his political strength is not the same. Someone, or something, is helping him to rise through the ranks and gain political pull. He suspected that it may have been Leblanc the Deceiver, though Black Rose agents have already thought to be completely dispersed since the last conflict."

Shen stared at her, his neutral but piercing azure eyes watching her every movement. "And you are sure of all of this information?"

Quinn nodded. "I remember it all clearly though I am somewhat regretful that I wasn't able to save him for more."

"The information is helpful enough. We would rather have something than nothing." Shen stood, stretching his legs as he went. At the door, he turned to look at the ranger once more. "And…thank you for your cooperation Wings of Demacia. It will not be forgotten."

And with that, he vanished to smoke, leaving Quinn and the Starchild alone in the room once more.

…

 _She clasped her hands over his, her smaller ones fitting well in his larger warm ones as she rolled to her side to look at him. Her assassin only smirked back at her, a taunting grin painting his face._

" _Still awake?" he teased, "I thought you fell asleep a long time ago."_

" _It's always so cold in here. Demacia is so much warmer, even at night," she murmured in response._

 _Talon snickered at her words. Lifting his arm, he drew his scout closer to him until she lay pressed against his chest. She giggled, resting her head in the crook of his neck, sighing contently. Their limbs tangled warmly together, the two paragons lay silently together, listening to the whispers of the night and enjoying the feeling of each other's company._

" _Talon."_

" _Hm?"_

 _Her assassin placed a rare gentle kiss on her neck and slowly ran his hands toned muscles of her back._

" _What is it?"_

 _Her hands slowly trailed to her neck where she wore a gold and azure chain, the colors of her beloved city-state etched into the very material of the necklace itself. Its chain had been delicately crafted with painstaking care, the intricate designs on its center further proof of its construction. Golden laces and small blue studded gems lined the strings._

 _It had been given to her as according to the traditional family heirloom. Though it was supposed to have gone to Caleb, her late brother. But since his death, she had become the sole child in the family. And although it had been intended for the male leaders of the family, her own relatives cherished her role as a Demacian ranger and had bestowed this honor upon her. And she knew it was expected for her to pass it on to the treasured member of her family when the time came._

 _Taking the utmost caution, Quinn slowly unclasped the small but beautiful family gem from her neck. She ran her fingers over it, gently feeling the smooth surface of the intricate material._

 _There was no turning back. She was nervous, but hear heart and mind knew it was the right choice._

 _She tenderly reached out an arm and hooked it around Talon's neck. The assassin's eyes opened, giving her a curious look._

 _But he said nothing as he watched her._

 _Slowly, she placed the treasured necklace around his neck, the gold and navy hues of the chain a stark contrast to his darker skin. Fastening the small latch at the back of the chain, she let it hang loose, the carved center now resting on his chest._

 _For a moment, there was quiet atmosphere between them. She could only hear the soft breathing of her assassin and the loud pounding of her heart._

 _Talon parted his lips to speak, but Quinn quickly moved a hand to his mouth._

" _It's a family heirloom given to the treasured members of the family," she whispered, a small look of hope painting her face, "Usually it's only given to the other after marriage to show a utmost oath of loyalty and an everlasting bond. Even though we aren't, 'y'know, married, …I wanted you to have it now."_

 _She gave a shy glance._

" _Will you…accept it?"_

 _Talon chuckled at her meek expression, the masculine sound rumbling in his chest. Leaning down, he kissed her soft lips, golden eyes meeting amber ones._

" _I will. But only if you promise me this."_

 _Her eyes widened in wonder._

" _And what is that?"_

" _Only if you promise to truly give it to me under the true circumstances one day."_

… _._

Quinn awoke.

She turned in a small panic, momentarily forgetting where she was.

Surveying her surroundings, she calmed as she remembered the events that had transpired before.

As her breath slowed, her thoughts returned back to him.

 _Talon…._

She knew that he would have searched relentlessly for her. In fact, she would bet that he would still be searching as of now. He was frustratingly endearing that way.

But even he had his limits.

She didn't doubt that he would be able to find where the battle had taken place. What would he think of her fate when saw all of those bodies? Would he believe her to be dead? Quinn had to get to let him know somehow.

Of course, asking the Ionians to send a message to her Noxian lover probably wouldn't sit very well with them. But she needed to find a way…

A sudden tapping at her window broke her thoughts. She cast a confused glance at the glass ingrained into the wall a few meters from her.

 _What is that…..?_

Slowly, she drew the covers from her body and treaded lightly to the window. Another sudden tap made her jump just slightly. Reaching the window, she peered out.

Only to see a very familiar eagle staring back at her.

"Valor?!"

Quickly working the latches, the ranger yanked opened the window as quickly as she could, the large bird flapping into her room as she did so.

"Valor, am I glad to see you!' she smiled at her companion.

Holding her arm out, she let the bird hop and roost in its familiar place on her arm. He cooed as he did so, nudging his beak against her face.

"Hey I missed you too big guy. Sorry about leaving you behind in Demacia. But the good thing is that you've found me right?"

The eagle gave a happy squawk, affirming its owner's feelings.

The two companions that made up Demacia's most famous scouting party stood in their reunion, enjoying the feeling of having each other's presence once more.

Quinn had to admit, it was nice to have her good friend come back to her; especially at a time like this. And speaking of old friends….She glanced at her large eagle. Perhaps Valor could solve her problem.

"Hey Valor," she whispered softly against the smooth fur of the bird, "I need you to do me a huge favor ok? I need you to fly back to Demacia to deliver a message to Talon. You remember him right?"

The large bird squawked indignantly at her request.

"I know you don't want to go back to Noxus, but this is really important for me. Please Valor? Plus, you'll get to see Talon again." she pleaded.

Valor huffed, puffing his chest out as if to say something but all that came out was a sharp chirp.

"I know it's not a safe move for Demacia but I _really_ need to do this."

The Demacian eagle gazed at his long-time companion. Oh the things he did for her…If eagles could talk, he would have certainly given her a piece of his mind.

Valor turned away, giving a low squawk, relenting to her plea.

Quinn grinned happily at her counterpart.

"Aw, thanks Valor! I won't forget it! I'll be sure to give you a special treat when you come back."

The scout quickly ran over to her desk and pulled out a small piece of paper. Grabbing a pen from her belt that she always kept with her, she quickly scribbled a message for her assassin. Dashing back over, her shaky hands eventually tied the scrap to the Valor's talons. Quinn gave the bird a loving kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you for this Valor."

The bird squawked once more before it took flight into the air through the open window, soaring silently through the night sky. Quinn watched as her beloved companion flew away to do her bidding, the cold Ionian winds blowing against her hair, chilling her to the bone.

 _I'm coming Talon. Wait for me._

 _..._

 ** _Hope you guys like this kinda different POV. Couple things. Let me know if you want to see a uh..."lemon". (Miss Yaoi Hands really wants one lol)_**

 ** _Also, I was not planning to continue this story as like a whole series, but since the feedback has been really goes so far, I'm considering it. Please let me know what you think C:!_**

 ** _Until Next Time,_**

 ** _-C. Geng_**


	3. Update!

Hello there reader!

Please excuse my ah, laziness. I've currently been at a writer's block with zero motivation to write and not to mention, a shortage of ideas to put on paper for you guys to read. I certainly won't settle to write something crappy. But regardless, I would like to apologize for being tardy and absent.

However, here is the situation now. This story (formerly Broken But Alive) is now currently being modified to become a full series story that I will work on. Though it was originally supposed to be a 2-shot, after quite some egging on as well as good positive reviews, I want to go ahead and make it a series.

That being said, there are a few things to note. Firstly, the story I've fleshed out will include canon and background from several _other_ stories here on fan-fiction in a cross over sense of fashion.

For now, there will be canon from Tahimikamaxtli "Follow the Wind" as well as canon from ValkyrieLead's "Cataclysm" series. If you have not read their stories, I would definitely recommend that you check them out. This will help to further plot understanding. Both of their stories are immensely popular on the League of Legends category, with Tahimikamaxtli's being one of the most read.

Hopefully, you guys will like what I will bring VERY shortly to the table. I will pull out a chapter very soon and you guys can tell me what you think!

Until Next Time,

-C. Geng


	4. Chapter 3: Continuation

_Hey friends. Here is the chapter. Excuse the time it took to put this one out, I had a bit of trouble building the foundation of the plot and mapping it out and everything seems to be fairly in place already! Anyways, hopefully you guys enjoy this one. It might start a bit slow for now as I am still introducing things but it'll quicken up C:._

 _Quotes of the day: "I've always been a Perv." - Miss Yaoi Hands._

 _"Shit." -Cornonjacob_

* * *

The Eye of Twilight sighed.

His mask was off of his face, lying on the bamboo counter. His brows, normally hidden, were furrowed with worry and exhaustion. Leaning down, he splashed cold water on his face to refresh himself, the liquid running across his features. He shook the water from his face and drew a towel across to dry himself before setting his mask back once more in its position. Switching off the bathroom light, he noiselessly shut the Ionian styled door behind him.

The information he had received from the Demacian ranger seemed trustworthy enough. There was no reason for the woman to have hid anything. The fate of both Ionia and Demacia were intertwined in this conflict after all and the Wings of Demacia was known to be loyal to her city-state. Furthermore, the information had seemed consistent with the scouting Kennen had conducted only several weeks earlier. Everything added up. Nothing seemed to be at of place at the moment of his investigation.

So why did he have a premonition that something was missing?

Swain's allies had all but been disabled and the Noxian champions were not in shape for another full scale invasion at all. Darius and Urgot were out of commission and Draven was too well interacted into the Noxian show life to prepare for war. Riven had long since left her former city-state and had settled down with a fellow Ionian in the city itself. And Leblanc's organization as well as she had been dealt with in the last major conflict.

Which left only a trio of possible allies to the Tactician.

Walking quietly to the table in the center of his room, he took a seat, his legs folded into a crossed position as Shen slowly examined the photos that had been given to him.

The first was an assassin. The first thing Shen noticed about her was the flowing red hair that hung loosely around her neck and the carefree smirk that always seemed to be plastered across her face. The wicked daggers that hung by her side at her body posture posed as if to threaten any who would even dare to look at her.

Katarina Du Couteau.

The Eye of Twilight had met her numerous times on the Rift and was familiar with her personality as well as her tactics. A brash champion, she was skilled in her craft of the assassination, but was often headstrong and arrogant, often taking on multiple opponents at a time. Though, her mastery of the blade was difficult to deny.

A powerful ally, if managed correctly.

However, Shen was aware of the rift between the assassin and the Tactician of Noxus. It was no secret to many champions that the two brazenly disliked each other, with Katarina's father's disappearance associated with Swain's rise to power. And from several what several Demacian sources had told her, she had previously worked with a Garen Crownguard, the Demacian captain, in the last conflict against her own city-state.

And now that Swain was nearly the sole power of Noxus, it was ever more unlikely that she would side with him at all. So that basically ruled her out of the equation.

Shen glanced at the remaining two photos. Cassiopeia and Talon Du Couteau. The other unknown factors. Both were siblings of Katarina and were known to have worked together on several missions. They weren't exactly what would be a traditional family, with one being a snake and the other an adopted Noxian street rat, but from past events, it always seemed that the family was on the same side regardless of their rough external relationships. They had both supported Katarina in her association with Demacia. There was no reason to believe they would stop supporting their sister now.

The Eye of Twilight sighed tiredly. So that ruled them out too.

That left no other Noxian champions to assist Swain in this phantom campaign of his.

Perhaps the ranger was right. Perhaps there was no real threat and only the senseless babble of a Noxian general depleting from his peak. Perhaps there was no threat to Ionia at all. As strong as the Kinkou were, they had been wrong in the past and they could certainly be wrong again.

But Shen just could not shake the feeling something was wrong with this situation. He simply could not place a finger on where he felt an inconsistency….

A sharp knock at his door broke him from his train of thoughts.

"Enter," he called.

Pushing the door open was a young woman dressed in a light green Kinkou outfit, karmas dangling by her side. Her brown eyes flicked to Shen, taking in his appearance as she pursued her lips behind to mask to speak.

"The convoy has arrived. It's time. Kennen has already moved to his position within the temple and is waiting for us."

Shen nodded.

"Very well." He stood to his full height and ushered the Fist of Shadow from his room. As he closed the large wooden door behind him, he could not help but take once last glance at the papers still left open on the face of his small desk. He stared for a moment, caught in a sudden daze.

"Shen? What's wrong?"

He turned back to his companion once more, giving her an assuring gaze.

"Nothing...Akali. Let us go. I'm sure that Kennen will be very impatient with our arrival."

The two pair turned to leave once more, their footsteps silent around the path beneath them.

… _.Could it be…them?_

* * *

Why were there so many god damn people?

At least that's what Talon thought as he quickly waded through the crowd of people milling throughout the center of the city.

He hadn't visited the Ionian Capital city yet and he had always assumed that they would all just be a bunch of monks and what not. After all, that's what all he had seen during his other trips around the island continent. Talon had just expected the Ionians to be praying or doing Kung Fu in their monasteries or whatever else they did in their spare time.

But he sure as hell did not expect them to be crowding around the central forum. As he moved swiftly across the rooftops through the Ionian afternoon, dozens and dozens of people laughed and played, enjoying the cool weather. Couples sat together in the park, cuddling against each other as Talon look onwards.

He stared at them for a moment before he realized he had stopped dead in his tracks. He shook his head, angry at himself for exposing himself for so long.

Fuck. How much time had he wasted? Or even worse, had someone seen him? Throwing a glance around, he quickly resumed his path across the rooftops.

Quinn hadn't exactly sent him a location or anything of the sort, but it was obvious enough to him. If the Ionians had been involved with moving her from Noxus then there would be no place else to take her than the capital. This was where the best security was as well as the best medicine and healers. No doubt this was where she would be.

Leaping onto a large marble statue placed at the top of a large house, Talon slowly surveyed the situation placed before him.

Ahead were the government buildings— tall, intricate structures decorated with Ionian curved platforms dominated the area. Guards, armed with large spears and katannas slowly patrolled the gate, vigilantly watching for any intruders. The assassin also spotted several guards on the decks of several of the government platforms. Everywhere seemed to be well guarded.

He grimaced despite himself.

This would not be an easy task. Sneaking into a low down place in some unknown location across Runterra was one thing. That was made even easier when no one would expect him either. Attempting to sneak in to one of the most guarded places in all of Ionia by some of the nation's strongest warriors was another. And Talon was sure they would stop him and kill him on sight without giving him any time to explain himself. Though he hadn't exactly been with the initial Noxian invasion force, he knew there was still prejudice among Ionians.

Talon snarled in frustration.

Fuck. Was this foolish thing really going to stop him? There was no difference if he killed the guards now, especially since he was already a wanted man.

Besides, he owed this to Quinn. He should have been there. He should have watched over her. The Blade's Shadow had nearly lost her, but now he had another chance, and he sure as hell wasn't about to mess this up.

He drew several gleaming blades from his cloak, his rough fingers running over the cold, wicked steel. Talon's eyes silently counted the number of guards.

 _One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Se-Damn. There's just too many. I can't kill one without alarming the others. Looks like I'll just have to take them head on and try to cut down as many as I can before they can react._

 _Huh? What is this?_

The cloaked assassin peered onwards as a large procession clanked up to the front gate. As he watched, he caught a glace of the colors that were beautifully glossed on the side of the massive carriage.

Blue and Gold. Demacian. And by the looks of the number of royal guards dressed in the best Demacian armor he had seen, it was likely that it was royalty as well. Talon frowned as he remembered the blue eyes of the Exemplar that he had fought on the Rift alongside a fierce dragon that had spewed blazing fire across the battle grounds. Were they here as well?

But what were the members of the Demacian royal family doing here? Their status made them high priority targets for assassins and bandits, so they never moved unless it was under dire circumstances. Past kings and princes had fallen to the hands of enemies before and it always posed a great risk to travel. Talon himself had conducted several missions on moving members of royalty.

So why were they here?

Amber eyes narrowed in wait as he watched a battalion of Ionian troops march out to the front of the gate to greet the convoy. The arrival of the Demacians had sent the Ionians into a flurry, guards shouting orders to another and ran around, opening the gate to allow the carriage and its occupants to pass through. The scene was nothing short of chaotic— and Talon saw his chance.

Jumping from his perch, he landed across the rooftop of another building and stealthily sprinted to another lower structure that stood below the one he was currently on. He was close now, he could hear the guards conversing in Ionian and the hooves of the horses against the paved stone road beneath them.

Quietly, he stuck to the shadows as he hopped down onto the lower building. Talon crouched and pressed himself against the large outer gate of the Ionian government. Slowly, he raised his head to take a quick peak over the top of the decorated iron gate. From his position, he saw many of the Ionian troops, once stationed on the rooftops and balconies of the Ionian buildings, now on the ground floor, eager to welcome their new guests. None were surveying their surroundings, as they were too busy exchanging greetings and kind words.

 _Perfect._

With a quick heave, Talon hopped over the steel gate. He rolled as he landed, assassin training kicking in as he quickly relocated himself in a bush that was planted near the gate. Throwing one last glance at the still distracted troops in the center of the square, Talon sprinted behind the closest government structure that stood near him.

As he leaned against the cool metal structure, he took a moment to gain control of his breath. And as he did, the assassin suddenly rubbed his face in frustration.

 _Huh._

He had made it past the guards without being detected. That much was done. But where would he go to find his ranger? After all, the government center wasn't exactly what one would call small. There were plenty of locations Quinn could have been moved to. He could search for years and years in this area and still be unable to find her. How could he have forgotten to think of it?!

As he silently berated himself, the sound of hooves clanking once more against the stone path reached his ears.

Wait. If Demacian royalty were here, then surely they would want to see the scout. They had sent her on that mission after all. With her going missing for a while, they would be eager to hear from her personally. Without any contact with her for that period, as well as the fact that she was one of Demacia's most famous rangers, she would likely become their first priority in Ionia.

And with the presence of the high ranking Demacians, this was turning out to be a serious matter. Talon was no political head, but he knew her city-state wouldn't exactly send such a large caravan just to make sure she was safe and to take her back home. Royalty had never needed to take such risks for such a meaningless purpose. Demacia would never give her sons for assassination unless it was necessary. Something was going on. And Talon needed to know.

But for now, all he needed to do was follow that brightly lit caravan across government location. There was a certain ranger he needed to speak to.

* * *

Beautiful. Wondrously beautiful.

At least that's what Jarvan thought of the Ionian architecture that he watched pass by the rattling carriage. He took a moment to admire the spiraling buildings and the beautifully carved patterns that were a part of every government building he could lay his eyes upon. The prince loved Demacia, but it was simply too difficult not to gawk at the ancient structures that towered above him. No one could deny the beauty of the island. Despite their seemingly intimidating appearance, he felt almost at peace here with the atmosphere of the island.

Almost.

He must have been frowning because a warm hand fell across his. He glanced up into the magenta eyes of his dragoness who was staring intently at him. Apparently his facial expression must have been worse than he thought.

"Jarvan, what's wrong?" Shyvana murmured, her voice laced with tender concern. "What's bothering you?"

The prince attempted to open his mouth to respond, but could not at first. There should have been nothing that made him feel this way. After all, he was already very happy that Shyvana was with him for this trip, as well as the fact that he was in one of the most beautiful locations across Runterra.

But there was something in the air that just… _didn't feel right._ What it was he could not say exactly, but Jarvan was confident that it was there.

He sighed silently to himself. Perhaps it was his nerves. Perhaps it was the air. Either way, it would do him no good to worry about things he was probably imagining. Jarvan had a purpose here he needed to take care of.

The Exemplar looked back at his dragoness and gave her a smile to settle her worry, wrapping his hand around her own to assure her.

"Nothing Shy, it's…nothing. I think I just imagined something."

* * *

Quinn sighed tiredly as she rubbed at the stiffness in her neck. She was geared up in her traditional Demacian armor once more, gold and blue uniform stretched across her figure once more. Although she was happy to be healthy and wearing the colors of beloved city-state once more, the scout was tired.

All night and day she had been pondering about the mind state of Talon. Valor had returned to her and successfully delivered his message. She knew that much. Her friend wouldn't have returned to her without completing his mission.

What she was worried about was what he would do. Quinn knew that he would be mad at her for not contacting him sooner. And as much of a "tough guy" appearance as he always attempted to put on, she knew Talon cared deeply for her and upon hearing the news of her status, would want to see her immediately.

And that was the problem. He wouldn't care about the political scene of Ionia of the fact that he would be unwelcome here on sight. Talon would come to see her regardless of who tried to talk to him or what they situation was like. That was simply the way he was.

And while she found that slightly romantic, it would prove poorly for relations between their already strained city-states. Demacian officials would not take lightly to such fraternization. Exile would be the likely consequence, if not execution. They had managed to keep their relationship off the map thus far. Would it be the end here?

But despite her brain's reasoning, she wanted to touch, to feel her assassin once more for the first time in weeks. She knew it was selfish and her brain nagged, but her heart shut out its thoughts.

 _God Talon…But I really need to see you. Why haven't you come?_

The sound of a door opening drew Quinn out of her darkening thoughts. She rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hand.

Whatever. She would have to worry about that later on. Right now, she needed to confer with the Demacian royals who had come to see her and discuss the situation. Talon would just have to wait.

"Ahem," came a light cough. Quinn opened her eyes to see a man dressed in a traditional Ionian garb standing before her. He gave her a light smile.

"Hello. I am Jonas, Guard of the Ionian Council. I have been instructed to escort you to the meeting chamber," he gave her a small nod, "We should move now Ms. Quinn. The Elders are waiting and so are your leaders. It would not do to keep them waiting."

Quinn stood, brushing a piece of lint from her formal armor set. She took a breath to steady her nerves before giving Jonas an affirming smile.

"Alright. Lead the way."

* * *

 _Hope you guys enjoyed that Chapter!_

 _Thanks to Miss Yaoi Hands for the edit!_

 _Please let me know if you liked it or if there is something I can do better!_

 _Until Next Time,_

 _-C. Geng_


	5. Chapter 4: Meeting

_This chapter is nice and spicy for you guys. Hope you like it C:!_

 _Daily Miss Yaoi Hands Quote: "_ _I have to sound out large words, I still count with my fingers, my hands are super small, like god why"_

* * *

Growing up on a small farm in rural Demacia had taught Quinn early on that expensive valuables were never necessary for one to be happy. She had always been happy with the simply things on her parent's farm and had never yearned for more. Some of her friends from her local village always fantasized about marrying men of unspeakable wealth, but Quinn hardly ever dabbled on such things. Never wowed by any show of wealth, she would have been happy just settling down with a regular man.

But even she couldn't helped but be impressed when she stepped into the large Ionian council chamber. The first thing she noticed was were the large white marble statues that lined the walls, carved with the touch of only the best styles of arts Ionia had to offer. Etched blades and swords decorated the halls as an eternal memorial to those who had fallen for the fate of their country. Images of Ionia's past leaders were memorialized into the very material of the building itself.

It seemed to the ranger that Ionia not only had the best looking country, but some of the most beautiful statues as well.

She walked silently behind Jonas, their footsteps echoing off of the marble walls around them. As Quinn glanced around, she caught several glimpses of characters she had known from the Institute. She saw Karma conversing quietly with several other Elders and Irelia, conferring with the guards. And she was sure Soraka and the other Ionian champions were nearby as well. It seemed as if almost every important figure in Ionia had come to this meeting. But was this really all for what she had learned in Noxus? And surely the Ionians would not take the threat to their nation seriously. Or would they?

The scout was so preoccupied in her thoughts, she did not noticed that Jonas had stopped walking in front of her.

She crashed into the council guardian, sending her entire body smashing into his. As her face crashed into his chest, she could not help but notice how solid and tone it felt.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" the scout squeaked, her face turning red from the contact. God, why was he so….chiseled underneath those clothes?

"It's quite alright Miss Quinn," he said with a small chuckle on his expression, "Though I would advise to be a bit more graceful around the Ionian Elders. And speaking of Elders," Jonas pointed to a group of blue and gold bannered warriors that stood clustered around a desk in the far corner, "You might want to go ahead and rendezvous with Jarvan IV. I have a feeling that he'll want to speak to you as soon as possible regarding the information you extracted."

Quinn's brows furrowed cutely at his words.

"Wait. Jarvan IV is here? What about the King? Has he come to Ionia as well?"

Jonas shook his head dutifully but couldn't help but crack a small smile at the ranger's expression.

"As far as I know, the King isn't here. The Demacians are still preparing for a move in Kalamandra so I hear. I believe his Highness is busy with that so he's sent his son in his stead."

He shook his head. "But what am I saying. Go ahead and catch up with your Prince." His head cocked to one side curiously as he looked at Quinn, a devious smirk before quickly adding, "And maybe I'll see you later tonight if you're staying in Ionia."

With that, Jonas turned to leave, leaving the young Demacian dumbfounded.

She blinked. Was that guy…flirting with her? Quinn couldn't but feel a bit flattered. Was she really that attractive? Jeez…what would Talon say? He wasnt too keen on sharing. But before she could think about it anymore, an all too familiar voice called to her.

"Quinn!"

She turned, only to face a figure standing before her once more. There stood the Exemplar of Demacia, with his golden armor and lance by his side. And as usual, his dragoness stood protectively by his right side, giving a small nod of recognition to the ranger. On his left was another Demacian soldier whom she did not recognize. Brown haired and blue eyes, Quinn assumed she was another guard assigned to assist the Prince on his trip.

Quinn gave a small polite bow to the prince of Demacia, "Good to see you sir. It seems you've recovered quite nicely from the incident."

The Exemplar nodded in response.

"And to you as well." He glanced towards the red haired guard that stood next to him. "You remember Shyvana right? She's my guard for this meeting."

The scout nodded, giving his companion a small smile. "Yes sir, I've seen her around Demacia a couple of times. But ah, who's the other one."

"The name's Delancey," the guard piped up before Jarvan could answer. She smiled at the ranger. "It's nice to finally make your acquaintance. I've heard quite a bit about you through the other Demacian military units. You're the fabled ranger aren't you? You're the one that hunted the rest of the Noxian death squads. That was fine work. I couldn't stop hearing about the things you did no matter where I went." Quinn blushed slightly at the rare compliment.

"Uh, thank you. It wasn't anything special. Just doing my duty to Demacia really."

It was nice to finally be back in touch with her fellow Demacians, and Quinn would have liked a bit more time to converse but at that very moment, a strange chime sounded across the meeting hall. As the Wings of Demacia glanced around, many of the other Ionian leaders began to move to their designated seats around a large wooden circular desk.

 _How had she not noticed that earlier?_

Jarvan mouth twisted downwards slightly at the sight. Obviously, he wasn't exactly happy with having to deal with more political affairs, but it was his duty to do so. And at the very least, he was able to spend a bit more time with his dragoness.

"Alright," he sighed, running tiredly across his face, "Let's get this meeting over with I suppose. Hopefully it won't run too long like the ones back home."

Shyvana rubbed his hand affectionately before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. She gave him a small smile. "C'mon, it can't be that bad. I'm sure the Ionians won't take too much of your time. Besides," she gave her prince a devious look, "We'll have a lot of time after this is done."

Delancey smirked at the duo. "Alright you two. Try not to get too excited. Remember, we are here for a diplomatic convention, not a meet and bang you know. I know Ionia sets the mood and all but please try not to fu-"

"Delancey!" Shyvana snarled in embarrassment before taking a quick look around to make sure no one had heard their exchange. The gunnery sergeant giggled quietly to herself, moving playfully out of the range of the dragoness's grasp.

Jarvan shook his head in frustrating wonder. Even after a near death experience, Delancey still had it in her to poke fun at him and Shyvana. Classic. He threw an apologetic look at Quinn. "Sorry about Delancey. She's always like this, can't control herself and her jokes."

Quinn couldn't help but smile at the prince's antics. Was it always this fun to be a royal guard? She had heard the training course was quite rigorous but she had never heard much about the routines.

"It's fine sir. I don't mind really."

"Excellent," he gave her a sudden serious look, a contrast to his light mood from only moments earlier as his gazed flowed over the carved wooden seat set out just for him, the diplomat of Demacia. "Alright, it's time to get down to business I suppose. The sooner it's over, the better."

Delancey gave a small laugh.

"Of course sir."

…

Everything was proceeding as planned. Shen overlooked the entire meeting ceremony perched from a small ledge. He watched in silence as the members of Ionian's council took their seats, along with the prince of Demacia and his officers. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary.

Shen watched as Demacia's prince took his seat at the side of the table, his blue eyes scouting the room and skirting over all of the Elders as the peace talk began. The Eye of Twilight did not exactly listen to the conversation, but rather, felt the emotions mixed within it. He could tell if the negotiation was filled with anger or was one of peace and reason. Thus, he could act upon a moment's notice should there be trouble amongst the Elders. Peace talks had certainly turned sour in the past. There was no reason it would not happen again, even if it was unlikely.

So he sat and watched, blades in hand as he rested against a wooden beam. Beside him was his companion, the Heart of the Tempest, who cackled quietly to himself as he played with a small strip of lightning that bounced back and forth between his furry Yordle fingers. As Shen watched him, the small zipped from his fingers to the tip of Kennen's hood, prompting the small Kinkou ninja to snatch the lighting from his head and palm it.

 _I wonder if Hanzo ever talked to Kennen about the dangers of lighting in an enclosed area. I suppose I must have the talk with him later. Last time, it burned down that old lady's garden…_

Though he kept one part of his mind focused on the event going on below, Shen could not help but let his thoughts drift back to her…to Akali…

He had trouble knowing what his feelings meant. When he had taken the mantle of Eye of Twilight, it was required that he never showed emotion. Such emotion could weaken the balance of the Kinkou order and cause unnecessary deaths and perhaps even their downfall. And he had held true to his commitment, not even so much as batting his eye as he watched his beloved father tortured in front of him. It was one of the most sacred rules that was not to be violated. He, as well as Akali, knew this to be true. Otherwise, the rules and foundations of their orders would crumble from within. Such a fate could not exist for the Kinkou. Not now, not ever. They had already taken a heavy blow from Zed, thus their order could not afford another attack because of his weakness.

But Shen could never quell the feelings he held for his female companion. When she laughed his stomach twisted. When her eyes crinkled from smiling breath her mask at him, his heart leapt. He hadn't known when exactly it had started, but her being was all he knew now.

The twilight ninja sighed silently behind his mask of darkness. He afflicted with her, undeniably. That much he knew. All of the signs had were there. But that was not the difficult part. As the leader an ancient group, it was necessary for one to embrace their feelings and accept them for what they were. Shen had no trouble doing that, especially involving Akali.

No, the worst part was what she would think of him. Him and his…feelings.

What would she think of him? Would she think him weak for having such thoughts? For Akali was a devoted woman to the Order. Her mind set, just like his, on reviving the strength of their tradition. Besides, it was unlikely she would want to associate _that_ with another one of her fellow ninjas. Why would she? There was no reason.

He watched her longingly, standing vigilantly behind the chair of council member Irelia. He couldn't help himself as his eyes slowly took in her slender form, those long sleek legs. He found himself imagining what it would be like to be trapped under those legs, what it would be like to feel her against himself. How she would react if he made slow love to her neck and when he would trail kisses down her body. Shen's mind, though normally clean and chaste, wandered to less than reputable places thinking about his fellow ninja.

In fact, he was so distracted that he nearly did not notice that Kennen had stopped in his tracks of playing with his ball of lighting and was frozen in place, his ears swiveling as if they were hunting for a certain something.

The Yordle glanced over, his furry like eyes narrowing. He was suddenly uncharacteristically quite, a strange marking for a Yordle.

"You feel that?"

Shen took a moment to process his words before closing his own eyes.

To conduct a mission of detecting invaders, Kinkou ninja had all been taught a unique ability to sense with their minds the very presence of a non-native Ionian. This technique had originally been perfected in the battle against Noxus in an attempt to send Kinkou ninja to scout their positions in order to gain a tactical advantage. Though the first war had since been but over, many ninja of the Kinkou including the trio had nearly perfected this ability.

And now, it had become much greater of a use than any Kinkou ninja could have ever foreseen.

As his mind trailed the location around him, Shen suddenly sensed a cold presence. Something…that was definitely foreign. It was almost indescribable, a spirit of malice and at the same time…harmony and care.

But whatever it was, it was not Ionian in origin.

The twilight ninja turned to his small companion.

"Yes. Something is here. I have sensed it as well. Warn Akali, I will engage with the intruder."

The Yordle gave a brief nod before zipping away in a small flash of lighting.

…..

Talon breathed in the strange musk of the Ionian balcony. It was not a bad one as he would have assumed, but rather that reminded of the ancient clocks and chairs that General Du Couteau kept in his office. Smelly, but rather antique.

He climbed through the small opening that the balcony afforded him into a strange upper floor. Marble walls stretched out in all directions. Along them were statues and monuments, commemorating past Ionian heroes for their valor and bravery against the Noxians in the last war.

Talon scoffed quietly at the sight.

He hadn't fought in that war, but he certainly hadn't thought the Ionians would have such large egos to create so many carvings of their war. Then again, it had been but a costly one for them. He certainly would have made a couple statues himself. If he ever had the practice that is.

Turning around, the assassin slowly slunk in the shadows along the long hallway, listening for any sounds that could give him a clue as to what he could do next. He had seen the convoy enter into this building. Obviously, Talon couldn't exactly have entered through the front entrance, so he did the natural thing.

He punched out a guard and hopped through the open window.

It wasn't exactly a clean move, he could worry about that later on.

His ears perked as he heard a voice emerge from a distance ahead of him. As quietly as possible, Talon moved swiftly forward, only to come to a small railing. He glanced below him.

Beholden to his sight was something he had not expected. A full and complete congregation of the Ionian elders. Talon was slightly unnerved at the sight.

Why were they all here?

He hated reading about history books and whatnot but General Du Couteau had insisted he learn about the history of Ionia as well as Demacia. Something about, "knowledge about your enemies, is power to yourself" bullshit. Talon never remembered much about Ionia, but he for some reason, had remembered that the gathering of the Elders almost never occurred. Why he had only remembered clearly of such a small detail he did not know. Perhaps it was to do with the want of a convergence of a purpose in his life. But that did not matter now.

He had something else to do first before wondering about this.

He glanced over to a small section, its seats adorned with the all too familiar colors of gold and blue.

Demacia's own.

The assassin scanned the seats and the surrounding areas, only to see a large man dressed in a ceremonial set of royal Demacian armor, and beside him, a woman with red hair dressed in a royal guard's battle set. But from his angle, he could see no other Demacian members present. As far as he could tell, there was no ranger by the man's side.

Talon snarled in frustration.

Where could they have gone?! If their royalty was to be here in an important diplomatic meeting which called for a rare convergence of all of the Ionian elders, then Quinn had to be here. There was no other place she could be.

His mind raced, calculating out the possibilities before reaching a decision. It was likely that she was simply out on the wings of the meeting, as guards often were. Thus, his problem could have simply been his angle.

So he needed to get down to near the floor. Now.

 _Fuck._

This was going to be a lot more difficult that he had imagined.

He turned.

Only to be met by two figures blocking his path.

His eyes narrowed as he stopped dead in his tracks at the two shadowy men.

Well, at least he thought they were men. One was obviously a male, tall with sharp azure eyes and a softly pulsating katanna strapped to his back.

The other was….well, it was a 3 foot… _thing._ Talon wasn't sure whether or not it was qualified to be a male.

The Blade's Shadow opened his mouth to explain himself but before he could, the small figure cut him off.

"Who are you!?" it demanded in a squeaky voice. Talon mouth twisted in a strange position as he attempted not to laugh in his situation. It was difficult to sound intimating when your voice sounded like a mouse that had inhale a gallon of helium.

The thing scowled angrily at Talon's reaction to his voice.

"Oh, you think my voice's funny huh?" it pulled out a small shuriken and pointed it. Talon could have sworn that only a moment ago there had been nothing on the metal object. The next thing he knew, there was lighting chirping from the edges of the deadly blade, frits of crackling light danced off of the edges.

"Let's see how funny you think I am when your face is full of these."

Talon's eyes narrowed at his voice. He drew his own blade from response through a hidden compartment in his hood and gripped it defensively.

"Better watch your words short stuff. I don't take well to threats. Especially from someone who can't even see over the counter."

The creature's eyes flared, but before it could do anything, the man stepped in front of it.

"Enough of this," the tall ninja's icy gaze met his own set of amber eyes, "You have come to Ionian's capital city and its government buildings without permission. We cannot allow you to roam as you please. Speak your purpose now or we will strike you down where you stand."

For a moment, it was a standoff of wills, gazes locked against gaze as Talon contemplated his course of action. If he ran now, he would have a chance of getting away, He was fairly confident that he could move quicker than the two that stood before him.

On the other hand however, the Ionians would have been alerted to his presence, only furthering adding to the difficulty of what he was doing here. Then his chances of meeting up with his ranger would be far reduced, to the point where it would be near impossible. But would turning himself in help anything? It was far too likely that they would find out he would be a famous, or rather infamous, Noxian assassin and would place upon him harsh punishments. Then, he would have no chance at all.

He sighed. What a shit situation he had landed himself into. All in the name of love he supposed.

"So?" questioned the ninja, "What will it be? Will you come with us or must we cut you down?"

As quick as a flash, Talon threw several blades at the duo in front of him, causing them to both roll out of the way of certain death. Good. He hadn't expected them to be caught by those blades anyways.

Taking advantage of the chaos that had erupted, he quickly turned, hopping onto the ledge of the rail. He hesitated for a moment before he foolishly took a quick look back at the scene behind him.

Talon nearly paid very dearly for that.

A translucent blade swung out of seemingly nowhere, nearly severing his entire head. He leaned back just in time, as it only cut the small fringes of his hood as he fell into a free fall.

For a brief moment, he wondered what it would be like if his plan did not work. Talon supposed he would simply become a dirty Noxian stain on the clean Ionian marble below him. Though honestly, it was not exactly a terrible way for as assassin to go. Many of his peers from the Noxian underbelly had suffered far worse in their final moments upon this earth. But dam would he look real stupid in front of his beloved ranger.

Then, with a swing of his arm, he fired a contraption from his arm that launched an arrow which pierced the side of the marble walls, allowing him to swing safely to a lower balcony.

He tumbled down unto another floor, his head tucking into his chest as he landed onto another marble floor.

 _More of this bullshit stone. C'mon, this thing isn't exactly great for landing on._

As the assassin rolled to a stop, he triumphantly stood, slowly brushing his shoulders and inspecting himself to make sure nothing had been broken. He was right. He had been able to outwit the two at the upper floor. His resourcing skills weren't too bad. Better than what Katarina had made them out to be.

 _Thanks for the contraption Marcus. You were right once again._

Turning, he moved to get out of the building. They would be coming for him now. Talon needed to formulate another plan.

He swung around on his heels-

-only to be met with a karma to his throat.

It was a woman this time, an emerald outfit adorning her slim body as she held the blade threateningly to his esophagus. He sighed internally with frustration. He just couldn't catch a break could he?

"Don't move or the last thing you will see is this blade," the ninja growled.

This was certainly going to be difficult for him. To say the least.

* * *

 _Did you guys get the "Cataclysm" references?_

 _Hope you guys liked that chapter! I will try my best to put out another soon!_

 _Let me know if I can do anything to improve or whether or not you liked it!_

 _Riven Yasuo will make an appearance soon. C:_

 _-Until Next Time,_

 _C. Geng_


	6. Chapter 5: Confrontation

_Sorry for the somewhat late update, have been dealing with some things lately._

 _But without further ado, here is the next chapter! Enjoy!_

 _Also, thank you for pointing out my chapter error. Guess I did a whoopsie :c._

 _Miss Yaoi Hands Quote: "_ _Why did Cho kiss Harry when she was still in love with Cedric? Why send the boy who has enough problems mixed signals, hoe." - on the subject of Harry Potter Day._

* * *

Quinn positioned herself next to Delancey, a small distance away from where Jarvan sat at his position around the council as she resigned herself to waiting. She looked around the table, examining the faces of those who had placed themselves in the chairs of power. The scout recognized a few from past meetings that the Institute of War, namely Irelia and Karma who sat side by side, their ceremonial Ionian robes adorned with a strange violet flower design.

She shook her head, violet strands falling around her eyes in the absence of her helmet. The scout wasn't really one for meetings. It was often more preferable for her to work out in the filed rather than sit behind a desk. Quinn knew it was important and all to the livelihood of her city-state, but she couldn't help but find it dam boring. She could never picture herself doing such a job, being a politician, having to always hold herself out to the public eye.

Nonetheless however, Quinn leaned her head against the wooden frame that she sat against, the smooth, glassy wood feeling cool against the side of her head as she attempted to zone in on the conversation.

"The information that your scout brought us does match the reports we have received," the ranger heard as she tuned in, listening to one of the Elders she did not know speak to his peers.

"Regardless however, we have received reports of stirrings within Noxus. Military mobilization is imminent and blatant. Our own scouts have seen Noxian troops running through military simulations. We cannot help feel weary as this Noxus is far too similar to the one that was in existence before the war on Ionia." Several of the other Elders silently nodded their agreement to his words. "While I am not saying that Noxus will attack us, I do believe firmly that it would be prudent for us as allies to prepare for that situation. After all, we cannot always be too safe."

The Elder swung his focused gaze towards the Demacian prince who, up to that point, had been sitting in his seat, quietly observing the situation before him.

"Exemplar of Demacia. We the Ionian Elders are much grateful for your assistance you have lent us with your rangers. However, we do ask that you remain with us on this final stretch, for we cannot help but feel that something…. _sinister_ is on the rise."

Jarvan remained quiet for a moment, contemplating the Elder's words before he spoke.

"Elder Riki, I am always willing to help the allies of Demacia in their time of need," he began carefully, "But you must understand that our resources are far too divided right now. Demacia is currently moving to meet Noxus in a political and military game across the Kalamandra border. Many of our own are currently preparing for an extending conflict in that area, I and many of the other Demacian champions included. We are simply not able to spare many soldiers to another location that has not even identified the threat with solidarity. If we did, we could lose our foothold in Kalamandra, meaning that Noxus could gain even more of a foothold against both of our city-states."

"But we are not asking for soldiers your majesty," came a voice from across the table. Everyone turned to see a tanned black haired woman sitting at her spot, her hands clasped firmly over one another as the laid calmly yet prepared against its surface. Her brown eyes settled on Jarvan's, their irises friendly like a butterfly but with an edge to it, as if the butterfly's wings were made of razor steel. "All we ask," Karma continued, "Is that you spare some rangers or special scouting Demacian forces for us to work without own. Therefore, the ability for our nations to share information is much greater than if we do not work together. Besides, the rangers do not move primarily in the frontlines do they? And if your standoff in Kalamandra is as neutral and non-violent as you say, then we can quickly utilize the rangers here and send them back to Kalamandra before any conflict even begins."

"I'm not sure that several Demacian rangers can do much to protect against a viable Noxian threat."

Karma smiled despite herself. "Oh but they can. Haven't you already learned the value of one who is determined to accomplish something? Often, there is much more than meets the eye," the Elder mused, tipping her chin towards the prince's dragoness who stood protectively by his side. Jarvan could not help but blush at her words just slightly. He remained silent, a response strangely absent.

"What I am proposing, Exemplar of Demacia, is that you but simply leave several rangers to assist in our effort to remain vigilant of any Noxian threats. Thus, this will help Ionia secure its foundation as well as barely tainting the overall strength of the Demacian army."

The crown prince of Demacia sat in silence, wading in his spiraling thoughts. His eyes flitted over to the figure with violet hair sitting against the wooden chairs that had been supplied to her in the corner.

Perhaps…..it would be better for Quinn to avoid the conflict in Kalamandra after all. She was a fine ranger and very valuable to the Demacian forces. Her usefulness in assisting the Ionians as well as maintaining good relations with them had undeniable benefits for Demacia.

He sighed, running a hand over his slight stubble.

"That sounds like a fair strategy Elder Karma," he reluctantly agreed, "I do believe that it will work in our favor. But I'll need to go ahead and confer with my father first. I don't have the authority to simply order rangers to transfer to different military stations."

Karma nodded her head.

"Thank you my prince. Ionia and its Elder's will remember this favor for a very long time."

The other members of the table murmured their assent, their heads all giving a small bow of recognition to Jarvan's promise.

From another corner stood Irelia, her hands spread out to address the council before her.

"If there are no more questions among us, then let us return to our rooms. We will reconvene in 5 days in order to determine and confirm our next courses of actions regarding this Noxian situation."

The many Elders began to stand, the noises of chairs sliding against the marble floor beneath them filling the room. Quinn sighed, letting out a breath of relief. This meeting was finally over. Now she could go relax and muse over her _own_ problems.

 _CLANG!_

A sudden sound of a blade striking another metal object sudden rang out throughout the entire large room. Heads turned frantically as the Elders attempted to locate the source of the sound. Suddenly, Ionian soldiers dressed in full battle gear flooded the room, quickly grabbing the more frail elders and ushered them from the chamber. In no time, bodies of many a diverse Ionian were running around everywhere. The conference had gone to a quiet and calm diplomatic setting, to one that seemed all too identical to panicking cows being herded for the slaughter.

Quinn spun on her heels, the unexpected chaos of the scene a bit much for her.

"What's going on?!" she called out to the prince as he made his way over along with his half-dragon.

"There looks to be some sort of assassin in here," the prince responded, sweeping his gaze to the several balconies that stood above them. "Some Kinkou ninja have already attempted to stop him or her. For now, we're going to need to move to a safer location and let Ionia handle this."

The scout's blood suddenly ran cold at the Exemplar's words.

 _Assassin?_ It had to be just a coincidence that an assassin would show up here and now of all places…right? There was no way it could be Talon. He didn't have a clue of where she was? She had sent a message to him but she was planning for this to be over before she moved to contact him again. Damn. If it really was him, then his presence here in Ionia would not sit well with both parties.

"Quinn!" came a voice from beside her. The ranger turned to see Delancey gently shaking her shoulder. Without even realizing it, Quinn had drifted away with her thoughts right on the spot. "Quinn, c'mon. We have to move to the safe rooms and let the Ionian forces deal with this. It's not gonna be good if we get caught up in this cross country drama yet."

Delancey was right. She had to stop being so dam distracted. Shaking her head, the ranger swiftly followed on the heels of the sergeant and the prince as the Demacians exited the room.

* * *

His amber eyes were strange. At least that's what Akali first noticed about the assassin who stood rooted in place, his neck held hostage by her sharp blade. Her timely arrival had allowed her to catch him off guard as he was attempting to escape from her fellow Kinkou. Now, all she needed to do was hold him here until more backup came to take the assassin away.

But as they stood there, locked in that strange confrontation, Akali noticed something that she had never seen before.

Already but an experienced veteran, this wasn't the Fist of Shadow's first time dealing with an invader to important Ionian locations. Her time with the Kinkou had already afforded her the experience many times of dealing with both Noxian and even several Zaunite assassins sent to kill spiritual leaders or important military figures.

Akali thought she had seen it all.

But this one was different. What she noticed immediately about the man whose piercing gaze monitored her every movement was that his eyes were unlike any of the other assassins that had come before him. Their eyes were one of hunger and desperation. For Noxian assassins were always expected to achieve the kill or die trying. They were never expected to return with news of failure but rather returning with only tidings of success. Thus, Akali had learnt from an early time that these assassins were often unpredictable, doing whatever it took to achieve their goal; for they had nothing to live for if they failed.

But for the figure in front of her, his eyes were strange. The swirling gold and brown irises of his seemed as if they were….lost, as if they were searching for something. Not to kill or to murder, but to find something that he had lost.

 _Strange._

Akali shook her head to clear these useless thoughts. Regardless, he was an intruder into the Ionian capital regardless of his motive. He would have to be apprehended.

"You don't know what you're doing. I'm not here to kill anyone," the man suddenly growled.

The ninja locked gazes with him, steeling her nerves. _Who_ was this man? Why did he give off such a strange vibe?

"That doesn't matter now. You're violating Ionian Capital City rules and trespassing onto government locations. You are a wanted fugitive no matter what."

The assassin scowled at her, angry wrinkles tainting his face as he remained silent.

"Akali!" a familiar voice called from a distance.

Akali's arm loosened slightly as her eyes flicked over to investigate the sound. Just ever so slightly as her ears perked to listen to the voice that had come from behind.

But slightly was all that the man needed. For she was not the only one watching closely.

His hand flew up at a nearly inhuman pace, knocking the karma that was resting on his jugular away from them both. It flew from her hand, clattering against the marble floor as it skidded away from them.

 _Damn he's good!_

Spinning away, Akali leapt backwards, narrowly avoiding a wave of blades that cleaved the ground of where she stood only moments ago. As she landed on her feet, Akali noticed another blade flying towards her. Quickly drawing her other karma, she slashed upwards, deflecting it as it flew away from her and impaled the wall with a solid thud.

Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, the strange assassin turned to the balcony railing he was held against only moments ago.

 _He's going to get away!_

Akali glanced around quickly. From the corner of her eye, she could see someone approaching her, but she knew they wouldn't make it in time to help her. She sighed.

This would be risky, but it was far better than letting him get away.

Grasping the karma firmly in her left hand, Akali hurled the blade with expert ease, sending the dagger whirling through the air at the assassin who was preparing to leap of off the balcony.

CLUNK!

The blade struck a wooden panel next to the man, the sound somewhat quieter than what Kali had hoped for. But it worked.

For a moment, the man turned his head in curiosity to look at the blade that had embedded itself beside him. His eyes widened slightly as he realized the small yet crucial mistake of his action.

It was too late.

Akali flew through the air, her leg outstretched as it connected with the man's collar bone with a solid thud. The assassin flew backwards, the kick sending him sprawling unevenly over the rail and into a free fall to the floor beneath them. Akali watched as the man clutched at the empty air with nothing there to save him. For a moment, everything seemed to stop as the man appeared to fall in slow motion, his breath slowly ticking away. The Fist's Shadow could hear her heart's every beat as she watched the man from the balcony with anticipation.

With a loud grunt, the man crashed into the floor below.

For a moment, the man did not move and Akali's heart beat unevenly.

If he was dead…..

Then, the hooded figure groaned, a hand clutching his stomach as he slowly got to his knees. Akali let out a sigh of a relief. Her plan had worked out after all. Ionians troops began to surround the man, blades pointed at him to warn against another attempt at escape.

"Kali!" She turned to see a small Yordle in a purple cloak zip up to her, his eyes wide in excitement and confusion.

"Great job Kali! That was a cool move!"

She couldn't help but smile at the high pitched voice that was plastered on such a funny body.

"Thanks Kennen. Where's Shen?"

"He moved down the steps quickly once he saw you kick the guy off of the balcony. He should be down there with the troops right now actually."

She glanced over, and true to his words, saw the Eye of Twilight slowly placing magenta energy binds on the assassin who was now laying on the ground in order to prevent him from moving. Akali stared for a moment, not just at her fellow ninja, but at the strange expression that the cloaked assassin had on his face. It was one of….. _resignation?_

"What's wrong?" came the voice of Kennen, "You look a bit worried."

She shook her head.

"It's nothing Kennen. Let's go and regroup with Shen."

* * *

Claws raked the side a wooden beam, leaving a deep gash in the object as the strangely feminine figure strolled past. She cackled evilly as she slowly watched the scene unfold far below her. At her feet lay several Ionian soldiers, their bodies mangled and crushed, expressions of horror and pain still etched upon their face. They had been nothing but a morsel, mere fodder for her to toy with before she devoured their souls.

The unexpected factor has been captured. Talon had been an unknown in her plans and that had certainly posed a threat to her. Noxians always had a way of turning against her. But now he was held captive….

The unknown woman giggled maliciously to herself.

Now all there was left to do was to rip the others apart. The ninja, the scout, the assassin…all would come to suffer what at her hand.

* * *

 _Dang. Who that at the end tho? Can you make a guess? If you guess right, I'll give you a cookie C:!_

 _Headcanon: Akali and Talon are both very skilled individuals, almost to a point of equality. But keep in mind that Talon is searching for someone and is somewhat distracted and not at full strength as well as a result of his nonstop travelling, Thus, Akali would have an advantage here._

 _Ionia and Demacia are allies and hope to strive to keep good politics between them. Because eff Noxus._

 _Hope you guys liked it! Let me know if I can do anything better!_

 _-Until Next Time,_

 _C. Geng_


	7. Chapter 6: Uncertain

_Ayyyy, what it do._

 _Whipped up the next chapter for you guys. It is a bit longer than last time, so I do hope you guys enjoy it!_

 _Miss Yaoi Hands Quote:_ _ **Me: Do you make bank?**_

 _ **Miss Yaoi Hands: $10.01 an hour. Yes plus the penny.**_

 _ **Me: You're above the young minimum wage. Sick!**_

 _ **Miss Yaoi Hands: It's the boobs and cute smile c;**_

* * *

Springtime in Ionia was one of the most beautiful places in all of Runterra to be. Few could disagree with that. Delicate cherry blossoms gently sent their leaves feathering to the ground as the flowers around the twists and turns of the dirt bloomed, painting the earthen ground with intricate patterns and vivid colors. The rain rarely came. Day after day was filled with bright yet gentle sunlight, the golden rays kissing the tops of houses and monasteries across the entire city-state. It was a time when many felt most at peace. For children played and laughed under the watch of the serene sky, old men would converse with each other over cups of steaming tea in parks, and soldiers would return home to see their loved ones. It was a place of harmony, well sought by many citizens of Ionia.

On the outskirts of Ionia, far from the busy streets and roads of the capital city, was a small wooden cottage. A large stable sat at the back of it all, housing a pair of horses who stood quietly, neighed contently as they enjoyed the cool spring winds of the Ionian Sea.

Inside sat a man, resting his tired body on the couch that decorated his living room. His dark hair was long, tied neatly with a band as it rested on the small of his back. His face was well chiseled, a strong jawline and dark orbs blessed his features, along with a set of full lips and a haunting smirk that often turned heads of many young maidens in the villages of Ionia. But along with these things was also a certain sadness that one could not describe, only feel when standing in his presence. Even when his stormy eyes were twinkling, smiling at the blessing of his life, they reserved a hidden but noticeable regret behind them.

Yasuo sighed, leaning his head back against the comforting cotton of his seat, allowing himself a brief moment of riposte from the workings of the day. It had been a busy day for Riven and him. She had insisted on plating some of the flowers and trinkets that they had worked on in the Ionian Palladium while conferring with Irelia. Yasuo had reluctantly agreed, though he knew himself not to be a huge fan of working with shrubbery and its other venues. But in the end, he couldn't resist Riven, and had found himself with a pair of gloves, digging up dirt and placing seeds and flowers among the holes in the dirt that they had made.

Though he hadn't exactly enjoyed planting, he certainly did appreciate the time that he was able to spend with Riven. Yasuo always cherished every moment he could spend with the former soldier as he often made trips to the capital to attempt to find a working job.

But regardless of what he liked or didn't like, he still couldn't change the fact that he was bone tired from getting his hands and knees covered with dirt and mud. Wielding a sword among the battlefield was one thing. Using a shovel and a water hose to tend to delicate plants were another. He had been assigned to work with plants a long time ago when he still attended the school in Ionia, but that had been purely out of respect of the Elders. He wasn't sure how Riven managed.

At that moment, a wooden door opened, and Riven stepped out, steam trailing out from behind as she exited the shower room. Her long mane was still wet as it hung loosely over her shoulder. Looking over, she noticed that Yasuo had been giving her a strange look.

"What?" she asked. "I have something on my face?"

Yasuo chuckled and looked away, slightly embarrassed at the fact that he had been caught staring.

"No, it's nothing. I was just daydreaming."

The white haired warrior frowned, walking over to the couch to sit beside the weary samurai. She sank into the couch, the soft cotton of the seat beneath her comforting against her own weary body as she let out a soft sigh. Yasuo leaned over, toned arms wrapping around Riven's waist as he pulled her into a gentle embrace. She leaned her head against his shoulder and the two enjoyed a moment of silence in the presence of each other's company. The only noises were the sounds of the birds that chirped in the cool evening, and the calm lapping of the river beside their humble abode. From their high positions in their former occupations, both of them had come to learn to appreciate the small things in life with each other.

It was a while before either of them said a word. But as Yasuo leaned into his companion, her soft pale hair tickling his nose as he placed gentle kisses on her head, something passed into his mind that he had forgotten to tell her.

"Riven," he murmured.

Riven, who had nearly fallen into asleep from the warning presence of Yasuo body against her own, opened her eyes, amber irises fliting to the face of her loved one.

"Hrm?"

"There was a letter that arrived for you today. I received it when I went into town earlier," he said quietly, stroking her soft arms, "I wasn't sure whether or not you wanted to see it and whether it would upset you. And you seemed pretty busy when I came back so I just left it for later."

The warrior's white brows furrowed in confusion. "Why did you assume that it would upset me? Was it something bad?"

Yasuo sighed. "I'm not too sure. I didn't open it because it was specifically addressed to you. And there's also the fact that there's an official Ionian government seal on it."

Riven made a face. Yasuo was being strange. It wasn't like him to act in such secrecy, not telling her that she had received mail from the Ionian government no less. She was sure that it would have contained important information for her. Though she knew that the incident between Yasuo and his city-state had been resolved a time ago, there were still undeniable tensions between many of the officials and her samurai. They were certainly not the best terms. So she could understand that he would have treated such mail with a certain suspicion.

Still, it wasn't right for him to have left out such fact to her, but she would have to _punish_ him later for that.

"Well," she said pursuing her lips, "I guess I might as well read it if it's from the government. They might need our help in something dealing with their affairs. Where did you put the letter?"

Yasuo stood, stretching out his tired limbs as he did so with a discrete yawn, the warm evening taking its toll on him. "Here, I'll go get it."

He walked down the wooden hallway, disappearing into their bedroom they shared at the end of it. A moment later, he returned with a small grey envelope attached to an intricate red ribbon. On the front of the message's cover was the symbol of the Ionian government. Riven had seen it enough times to know.

"Here," he said, handed it to her. She took it, her fingers grasping the cold smooth surface of the paper. Fingers shaking slightly, she brought it close to her face to inspect the envelope further.

"What do you think is in here?" she asked.

"No idea. It's probably not something good either. That's just my feeling."

Taking a deep breath, the white haired swordswoman slowly tore open the envelope, the sounds of the paper wrinkling and ripping beneath her touch filling the room. When it stopped, all that remained was a peach colored paper that sat neatly folded in the center. Taking precious care, Riven slowly unraveled the modern scroll. Yasuo watched as her light brown orbs trailed over the writings of the paper before her. His imagination could only guess what was written on there.

After a tense minute, Riven put down the letter on a small desk that was placed before her and threw an unreadable glance at the samurai who sat just across from her.

"Well?" he asked anxiously, "What was it?

Remaining wordless, she pondered her own thoughts to herself for a brief moment before suddenly rising to her feet. Giving a hand to Yasuo, she helped the swordsman stand before moving to fetch their cloaks.

"Riven?" Yasuo asked, his eyes marked with confusion. He had never seen her so animated before. What was in that letter? "Riven, what's going on?"

She stopped and walked up to him, pressing a knowing finger to his firm chest.

"We're making a trip to the Ionian government center. I have an old friend to pay a visit to."

* * *

Shen watched without a word as the captured prisoner sat sullenly in his cage. He sat on a small wooden chair, solid metal bars surrounded him at every angle. His hood hung over his head, as if it were dejected, hiding his facial expression. His arms rested at his side calmly, and he showed no agitation or anxiety at being held captive in one of the most secure cells in Ionia. The assassin was much more different now than he had been hours ago, flying around the council chambers.

As the Kinkou ninja watched, he heard a door open and shut behind him as footsteps approached him. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Shen was already all too familiar with the walking patterns of all those who worked in the governmental locations. His years and years of experience from working missions within the Ionian government had afforded him that ability.

"Has he talked?" asked Karma, her smooth voice rolling across the room.

Shen shook his head. "The assassin has been reluctant to inform us on anything, Furthermore, he insists he knows nothing about the things we wish to inquire. It is possible for me to resort to more _forceful_ methods in order to search deeper for the things we seek, but I am nearly certain that he is telling the truth."

The dark skinned Elder frowned, wrinkles tainting her normally tranquil complexion.

"How do you know?"

"His balance is very strange." Shen responded. "Usually, assassins in the past have always held a near perfect balance for their goal is singular; to assassinate a specific target. However, this assassin's internal balance is quite different. It is as if he is quite balanced, but at the same time, everything from within is embroiled in chaos." The ninja shook his head in wonder. "I have never seen anything like it. I would not say anything for certain now, but it is highly likely that this assassin was not attempting to kill one of the Elders."

The Elder remained silent at his words. She crossed her arms, pondering the theory that the Kinkou leader had just offered her.

"Then, if he wasn't here to kill one of us, why was he here?"

"That is what we must find out." Shen turned to leave, placing a gloved hand the wooden door behind them. "It is crucial to our investigation that we discover this man's identity. We already know that he is Noxian in origin. If he is one who is opposed to the Noxian government and perhaps holds a high position, we may be able to persuade him to cooperate with us. I have already asked Irelia to retrieve her ally. She may prove to be a great boon in this task."

With that, the Eye of Twilight exited through the doors, the wooden frames swinging shut behind him without so much as a sound.

Karma sighed when she was alone, letting the exhaustion wash over her for just a moment. She leaned against the cold marble wall, her legs nearly giving out from beneath her. With all of the things that that she had needed to deal with recently, she often got little rest. But if it meant the security of her people, then she would gladly sacrifice any amount of sleep to achieve that goal. But that did not mean that she would be free from the consequences of her actions.

As she rested, she took the moment to gaze carefully at the assassin who still sat silently in his cell. His tattered cape was wrapped around his body, covering any insignias or hints that could give away his identity. For a moment, Karma stared at that very cloak, an idea itching at the very strands of her mind. But just as quickly as it had come, it faded away, leaving the Ionian leader with nothing more or nothing less of an idea of who the man was when she had come in here.

She shook her head as she turned away from the cell to leave the room herself. It wouldn't do her any good to stay here any longer. For now, it would be better for her to get some rest. But as the doors swung shut behind her and the two large Ionian guards stepped in front of it as she walked away, she could not help but feel that she had missed… _something._

* * *

They had been dead for at least 5 hours. That was as much information as Akali could glean from the bodies scattered across the top floor. She inspected them carefully, scrutinizing every aspect of the mangled forms of the Ionian soldiers. They each had similar wounds, as well as similar causes of deaths. Many of them had simply had their throats torn open, killed before they had even known what had happened to them. And they had been the lucky ones.

There were several others who had been impaled by some sort of object and left to slowly bleed to death. But as Akali inspected the point of entry, it became more and more apparent to her that it had not been but a normal blade that had felled these men. More rather, the gash in their bodies caused by the object seemed to give off a….somehow sinister feeling. Akali shook her head in disbelief. This was certainly something new.

Another thing for her to note was that many of them had scratches on their bodies. Some had it on their backs, others on their faces, but regardless, it seemed all of them had been victimized the same way. But other than those points of recognition, Akali had been left all but confused.

She had spent years learning to track assassins and warriors from some of the best teachers in all of Ionia. By the mere age of 9, she had already become a well formidable tracker, surpassing many of her peers and even her own mentors and teachers. In her time, she had seen many types of trails left behind by various types of assailants, be it phantoms, pirates, assassins, they all left some sort of mark behind that she could always had capitalized on.

But that was the very problem here. As the Fist of Shadow stared at the ground, she pondered her dilemma. This time, the problem was that there _was no trail._ It was as if a creature of air had killed these men and vanished away, leaving not even the slightest of traces behind for her to follow.

Though it was alarming, there were several candidates who she could think of that could have pulled something off like this. But of all of them, none of them seemed to have motivation to do such a thing. The killer had simply seemed to have slaughtered these men and then run off. There was no written message left behind, no demand nor clue. It was as if the killer had done it simply but for fun.

At least as far as she knew. But Akali was confident that there _had_ to be a reason. No one, and she meant _no one_ in Runterra killed for fun. Everyone always had motives for their actions…right?

* * *

"Quinn, you ok?"

The ranger was sitting on a small wooden bench, her legs swinging absent-mindedly as she attempted to entertain herself to escape the boredom of waiting. After being evacuated from the council chamber, they had been informed by the local Ionian guards to remain in the designated Demacian chambers where they would be safe. Quinn had protested at first at the thought of leaving a fight behind, but Jarvan had insisted that they follow the rules and regulations set before them by their hosts. So she had no other choice than to comply.

And here she was, left with no other thing to do than to watch the white marbled clock in the corner tick away, its hands slowly making one revolution after another upon the white surface of the material. She had nearly fallen asleep, the pace of her legs hitting the bench beneath her slowly but surely lulling her to a light snooze when Delancey, the staff sergeant who was sitting across from her, woke her.

Quinn slowly brought herself out of her daydreaming haze to notice that the sergeant was giving her a quizzical look, although there was nothing menacing behind it. She must have had a strange look on her face to have elicited that sort of response from the sergeant.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the scout responded, her voice still evidently flat with boredom, "It's just that there nothing to do right now. And I'm already really sick of being stuck in this room. It's nice and all but…sitting down for hours just isn't for me."

Delancey chuckled at her words, "Speak for yourself. I'm hoping just as much as you that this ends soon enough. My legs are already starting to fall asleep on me." Delancey shifted, attempting a small stretch on her thighs.

"Speaking of which," Quinn began slowly, unsure whether or not it was a wise idea to ask such a question, "When do you suppose Jarvan and Shyvana will come back?"

Earlier, several council men had requested that the prince attend an emergency meeting to discuss the events that had happened. As such, they two were required to stay behind while Shyvana and Jarvan attended. Typical. Furthermore, they had been gone for a while now, and Quinn was starting to get worried, not to mention, bored out of her mind.

Delancey sighed, shaking her loose brown hair around her eyes. "I'm not too sure. With all the shit that's been going on with the council, it might take a while. Ionia takes security risks really seriously. I heard that once, because of their bad protocols and safety measures, one of their most important elders were killed along with many other soldiers during their war. Since then, Ionians have always been really uptight about who comes in and who goes out. Any little breach really riles them up."

Quinn groaned in frustration. "Then that could mean they could take forever to come back!"

"Hey, I'm not the one running security protocols here!" said the sergeant, raising her hands in defense, "I'm a victim of the system, just like you."

Just before the scout could open her mouth to give a smart ass response, the door swung open and the prince and the dragoness stepped inside, both looking a bit worse for wear.

"Boy, you two look real out of it," Delancey quipped as the duo approached the two women, "You guys took awfully long. Didn't make any extra stops on the way back did you?"

"Bite me Delancey," Shyvana hissed, her face reddening at her friend's inclination.

"Enough," snapped Jarvan tiredly, though his remark was really more directed towards the gunnery sergeant. He sighed for a moment to compose himself before beginning to speak again. His blue eyes seemed heavy with burden but he continued on. "Anyways, for now, the council meeting is officially postponed until a later date that is still to be determined. The Ionians have deemed it too risky to gather when there is a potential assassination threat. So we're going to have a break."

Quinn nodded. "What about the assassin? What are the Ionians going to do with him?"

The prince shook his head at her question. "It wasn't made clear what exactly the Ionians wish to do with him. Normally, the punishment for such an unauthorized break-in like that would be death. However, I've been informed that the assassin is Noxian in origin, so it seems that they might keep him alive for interrogation in order to extract information from him about their current situation."

The scout's heart nearly stopped when she heard those words.

 _Noxian…._

It couldn't be a coincidence. A Noxian assassin? Here? Quinn thrashed herself mentally. Of course it had to be Talon! The timing was just simply too perfect. Now, he was in danger, all because she had been too eager to tell him where she was even when she had been warned not to. Urgh, how could she be so irresponsible!

 _Oh Talon…I'm so sorry._

"Quinn," Jarvan frowned at her expression, her face slowly turning a faint tint of green as if she would be sick, "Are you alright? What's wrong with you?"

"Yeah, you've been acting kinda strange all day. You sure you don't just want to call it a night?" Delancey joined in, "We've already been through a lot in the past sixteen hours. Sleep would probably do you some good."

"I-I'm fine." The scout threw an unreadable glance at the Exemplar. "What's Demacia's next move going to be here?"

"They're going to interrogate the Noxian first I hear. Then, we will reconvene the council to analyze the information that they've gleaned and determine our next course of action from there."

Quinn's blood curdled at the word _interrogated._ "Do you know who's questioning T- I mean the assassin?"

"I heard that it was being run by one of the Kinkou ninjas and Elder Karma. Say," Jarvan's azure eyes narrowed just slightly, "What were you going to say about the assassin?"

"Nothing," the ranger shook her head vigorously. "I'm just a bit fatigued, that's all."

Jarvan looked like he wanted to argue the question a bit further, but stopped when the red headed dragoness placed a gentle hand on his arm. Giving the Exemplar a weary smile, the dragoness turned to the two ladies.

"We're all really tired. Why don't we get some rest for now? We'll be able to better handle this situation when we're all at our full strength."

Delancey stretched her arms, back cracking and joints popping as she did so as she gave the trio a toothy grin. "I couldn't have said it better myself!"

…..

A body tumbled down into the pit, rolling to a stop beside a massive hulking figure. It creaked as it turned, arms leaning down to inspect the object that it had been given. As it touched and examined the body, its fingers suddenly tightened, crushing the body, bones snapping as it did so. Crimson liquid chilled the earth beneath it as the giant figure let the lifeless man fall to the barren earth once more. It snarled in a deep displeasure.

"It is already dead. How can I do my work if you bring me ones that have no soul!?" he roared into the darkness.

"Patience my friend," came a sweet voice. Though the sound was sweet, like a tart, it also hinted with a tone of death and deviousness, a black stain upon the normally melodic tune. "I just could not help myself this time. Besides, you should have come with me if you wished to sample them for yourself."

"Bah," spat the hulking figure, "Their souls are not but worth anything to me. It would have been a waste of my precious time." It shifted, casting an icy glare at the female outline that stood a ways from him. "I grow tired of this game. This charade will lead us nowhere. I have given you time and now you must deliver. I have had nothing but the dust of time and the bread of silence."

"Patience, patience," purred the hauntingly soft voice, "Wait just a bit longer. The storm shall come, and the horses shall saddle themselves. We will spindle them into your hands, for their little figures are confused, not knowing where we are. We will delved into their secrets, their souls, and their guilt. We will have them all. And then, the men and women and children of Ionia will all be yours to plunder."

* * *

… _..It's not Thresh, so if I see someone guess it's Thresh, I'm going to be very tilted._

 _Hope you guys like the cameo and all. If you get all the references, you get a gold star!_

 _Thanks for reading friend! Please let me know if there is anything I did well or anything I can improve on! I 3 feeback. See Why At Sign._

 _-Until Next Time,_

 _C. Geng_


	8. Chapter 7: Arms Are Drawn

_Hello everyone!_

 _Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I have been really busy dealing with a lot of school work and scholarships. But while a good portion of it has passed for now, there could definitely be some more in the future. Regardless however, I'll always be sure to try and update as soon as I can for you guys!_

 _Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!_

 _Miss Yaoi Hands Quote:_ _**"Okay I will knit you socks.**_ _ **And a g-string to match"**._

* * *

This. Shit. Sucked.

Talon brooded quietly to himself for the moment as he sat, locked securely in his cell. Although he certainly had to admit that this wasn't exactly the worst prison that he had been locked away in, he really didn't liked to be behind bars in the first place. Especially not when he was so close to seeing what he had come here for.

But it wouldn't do him any good to rush brashly into the situation at hand. He had already been caught once. It would be crucial for him to plan his next moves extremely carefully now that they were monitoring him much more closely.

Slowly, as to not alert any one to his movements, he lifted his head just enough so that his amber eyes could survey the room around him while his face still remained but hidden under his hood. From as far as he could see, his cage was made of what looked to be steel. That meant that breaking the material confines of his prison were much more unlikely to occur. However, Talon's sharp eyes didn't fail to notice that the lock to the door of his cage was placed well within his arms reach. That left it perfect for him to pick.

But his real problem were the guards. There were two that stayed in the room with him, one on each opposite end of the room, both armed with a long curved sword. Not once had he seen them lose focus nor fall asleep or become distracted of any sort. It would be a challenge for him to somehow draw their attention away from him so that he could pick the lock. But how?

Many of his larger blades had been taken from him when he had been apprehended by the Ionian Capital Troops. But they had missed several tinier blades that he had cleverly hidden across his body, the result of many years of practicing the art of seemingly allowing his blades to fade into nothing but shadow. It had been a very useful skill in the past, but as of now, it seemed to be useless. These blades wouldn't be able to break the bars around him. They would best serve as a tool to pick the lock, but then he would be confronted once more with the problem of the guards.

His eyes narrowed into slits as the assassin racked his brain, at his wit's end to create a strategy in order to somehow draw the guards away from the room, or at least away from him for several minutes to allow him to escape. Talon was sure he could take the two guards in hand to hand combat. His training under the general for years had seen to that. But then there would be another only be more problems that would arise after that. He was more than aware that there were not only guards posted inside of the prison room, but on the outside as well. The room in which he was imprisoned had no internal exits, no windows or other doors that he could break through. Talon would have no other option but to go through the front and through the guards if he wanted to escape.

 _One…..Twenty…..Forty. It would take me nearly a full minute to disarm both the guards in and out of this room. But I need them to be distracted for just a moment….Fuck._

There was no way he could make a move now. Unless….

"Hey. Prisoner."

Talon looked up. There, in front of his cell, was one of the guards holding a small metal tray with certain Ionian foods that he could not identify.

"It's chow time," the guard said gruffly, sliding the try beneath the bars of the cage. The man hadn't even tried to hide his evident disgust for being near the Noxian. "Eat up because it's going to all you're getting for a while."

"Thanks a lot," the assassin muttered sarcastically. Sliding down from the wooden bench on which he was sitting, Talon came closer to the object and inspected it. Relative to some of the food he had eaten in Noxus, this wasn't all that bad. It was some brown glop as well as a piece of fruit in the center and the sides. But rather than the food, something else caught his eye. Reaching down, he pulled out a piece of metal he noticed that had been placed on the side of the tray. Talon chuckled at the sight.

Foolish Ionians. The number rule that had been taught well across interrogation teams always been _never_ to give caged assassins any metal utensils of any kind. Though it may have seemed harmless, when skilled enough, even the slightest piece of pointed metal could allow an assassin to kill his captors and escape. And Talon certainly was well-trained enough.

Discreetly sliding the fork into his sleeve, Talon took the tray back to his bench and sat, laying the metal slab in his lap and pretended to eat. But the moment that he noticed that the guards were not looking his way, he quickly dumped the food beneath the bench and covered it with a small ragged blanket. Cleaning out his tray, he returned once more to his original position, the fork set securely in his sleeve. All he needed now was a bit of patience. He was ready and his trap was set. It was only a matter of time now before he found out whether this was going to get him even more jail time or perhaps a death sentence.

Soon enough, the guard, noticing that his now empty tray had been set on his lap, came over to collect it. The armored man walked over to the cell bars.

"Hey you." Talon glanced up at the man's bored voice. "Give me your tray prisoner. And be quick about it too."

Shifting slowly from his seat, Talon moved towards the guard carefully, tray in hand. Right as the assassin was about to hand the tray over, he pretended to drop it, the metal slab clattering at the guard's feet.

"Are you serious?! Dam Noxian idiots. Can't hold anything right," snarled the guard. As he bent over to pick up the tray, Talon quickly shot a glance at the other guard in the room. He was still fixed in his posture, unyielding and watching the other direction. Perfect.

As quick lighting, Talon drew out the fork and as the man grabbed the tray from the guard, Talon quickly swiped a ring of keys hanging on the man's belt, the teeth of the fork just barely being able to reach into the metallic circle that held his freedom. Bringing the set of keys closer to himself, he grabbed them as fast as he could and pulled them into his cell. But the assassin's actions had not gone unnoticed.

"Huh? Hey, what the hell!?" the guard exclaimed as he stood back up, realization beginning to set in. The sight of the caged Noxian suddenly standing there with his keys caused alarms to ring in his head. What had happened!?

"Dam it! Hey I need help ove-" Before the guard could finish his sentence, Talon's hand quickly shot the gaps of the cell and roughly grabbed the Ionian by the collar. Jerking him forward, the man's face slammed against the solid iron bars and he slumped backwards unconscious.

The other guard turned, drawing his sword at the sight of a downed guard and a freed assassin stepping through a somehow opened door of his cage.

"Stay where you are!"

As if he were a specter, Talon suddenly vanished, reappearing behind his guard. Before the poor Ionian could even cry out or react, the assassin's hands wrapped tightly around the man's mouth and nose and kicked his knees out from under him. It was a short but ultimately futile struggle. Moments later, he lay barely breathing on the cool stone floor beneath their feet.

Talon sighed as he let himself lean against the walls for a moment to allow himself a brief moment of rest. As he did so, he watched the entrance of the room carefully. So far, there had been no movement or reaction from the guards outside to the things that had been occurring. His plan so far has seemed to work. It had certainly been quite risky, but it had ended up paying off.

But now came the most difficult part.

Readying his blades, he stepped near the door and placed his ear among the carved wooden surfaced and listened. Talon had expected to hear some talking and planning, or even at least movement of some kind outside of the door. After all, this was one of the mot guarded wings of the Ionian prison towers. But what he heard, or rather, didn't hear, surprised him.

There was absolutory no movement outside of the door at all. Talon, for all his training and experience, couldn't her a thing. Not a single footstep or a voice came into contact with his ear.

There was something wrong. Why had there only been two guards in his cell? Where were the others?

He knew it was a risky move, but regardless of his premonitions, Talon slowly creaked open the door an inch and peered out of the crack. The Ionian hall, usually crowded with soldiers and government officials was completely empty. There was not a single soul in sight. And above all, it was quiet. Not a sound could be heard in this wing of the government buildings. Strange, considering how much he much Ionians loved to talk about their affairs amongst themselves.

Now Talon was sure something had gone wrong with the Ionians. Opening the door more, he slipped through, silently making his way through the halls.

 _What is going on?_

* * *

 _1 hour earlier._

This was not good.

Shen could not shake that feeling that something dangerous was coming for them. It was stronger now more than ever as he inspected the bodies that Akali had found alongside the roof top. The arrival of the unknown assassin had distracted them so much that they had failed to notice this other intrusion until hours later. Many of their soldiers and guards had converged to the council of the elders and even more resources had been spent to protect them. It hadn't been until nearly the next day had Akali found these men on the rooftop.

But as badly marred as they were, Shen knew all too well that these bodies were a message to them. It was a statement, rather than an act of violence simply for the thrill. Shen had already seen enough of both to know the difference.

Someone, or something, was coming. They needed to act now. If someone were to attack them, now would be the best opportunity. It was what he would do if he were the enemy. They were spread far too thin for them to defend against a well-coordinated attack should it come. But regardless whether or not this turned out to be real threat, the Eye of Twilight knew it was going to be a lot better to be safe than sorry even if his hunch was wrong, especially with all of the Elders converged at a single location.

"Fist of Shadow. Call all of the Ionian troops to the forefront of the gate and have them run constant patrols alongside the entire perimeter. Be sure to evacuate the closest official buildings as well."

His female companion's brows furrowed at the suddenness of his request, but nodded in compliance.

"Understood. But what about the interrogation of the assassin? Shall we divert all of our resources away from his integration? After all, there is no identifiable threat."

Shen shook his head. "I understand your concern and your skepticism, but there is a great chance that there is something destructive approaching us. If I am wrong, I will take the blame but for now, I must do what I feel is right. Imbalance seems to be on the horizon and I must do what it takes to prepare for it."

"Very well. As you wish. I will talk to the young general and ask her to do as you request."

She faded away into the shadows, leaving the Eye of Twilight by his lonesome once more.

He sighed as he rubbed his temples. All around him he could feel a cold presence, something filled with malice was approaching the Ionian homeland. But what as it? And more importantly, where was it?

"Perhaps I will be wrong," he murmured to no one in particular. "Perhaps that the threat that we have all feared will never come."

He wanted to believe that. All his life, he had always wanted to believe that all people were good in the world and that there would never be a need for wars of any kind. Though his core philosophy had long since changed since the day he was a young child, Shen had never truly thrown that goal very far from his heart and mind. Perhaps one day, all of Ionia could find a peace that they had once known so well before all of this had fallen upon them.

But deep in his heart, Shen knew that he was right. That the threat the all feared was coming for them now. He couldn't afford to pretend.

As if on cue, the silence was broken by a sudden roar that echoed across all of the buildings. It was an inhuman one, one that promised destruction and death to all of those who opposed it. It shook the floor, windows rattling from the sheer impact of the sound as it crashed through any spaces it could squeeze through. And it was close, the immense presence now nearly upon them.

Sheathing his magenta blade, he turned to the door.

"So it comes."

* * *

Blades clashed and screams rang out of the courtyard as Quinn ran alongside the prince, Delancey and Shyvana. Their boots pounded against the stone slabs beneath them as their breaths hammered their lungs, the adrenaline of battle coursing through their veins.

When they had heard the sounds of battle break out, they had rushed to the source, hoping to lend a hand to their Ionian allies. After all, they would not stand idly by while soldiers were slaughtered without mercy. But when they arrived, they saw something that they certainly had not expected. Stopping, they observed what was perhaps the most bizarre thing they had ever witnessed.

Ionian soldiers in full battle regalia grappled and struggled with not Noxian soldiers as they had expected, but fought intensely with what appeared to be….ghosts. Only, their weapons and blades were far from mere ghosts. As Quinn watched, one young Ionian man slipped and in the next moment, had a ghostly blade sever his head from his shoulders, his lifeless body collapsing to the ground. The ghoul cackled, ripping his blade from the fallen body as it disappeared again into the chaos of combat.

"What in the King's name is this…." the scout heard Jarvan mutter under his breath. "Are those…ghosts with swords?"

"Ghosts swords or not, they're definitely doing some damage to the Ionians," Delancey growled as she watched the bizarre yet deadly scene unfold before her. "We have to get in there and give them a hand. Shyvana?"

"One step ahead of you" the dragoness grinned wickedly, raising her already flaming gauntlets. "Let's show these things how much tougher Demacians are to take down."

They charged head first into the battle. Jarvan drew his lance and mowed down several of the ghastly troops, felling them with a single swipe of his mighty lance. He turned to block a strike from a ghoul that had crept behind him and kicking it away before flexing his legs and taking a huge leap into the air. For a moment, it was as if he could fly, time seeming to stop as he towered far above the battle ground below him. Then, in the next moment, he slammed down into the ground again, creating a makeshift arena from the sheer impact of his collision and obliterating dozens of ghostly warriors that had the unfortunate luck of standing where the prince had landed.

Shyvana fought furiously by his side, her bracers spewing fire as she crushed any soldier foolish enough to challenge her. All that remained of those troops were nothing more than a smoldering patch on the stone grounds beneath them. The fire that also constantly spun around her also threw the ghosts off, their ability to see hindered by the cinders that flew from the inferno that surrounded the dragoness's body. She was a near unstoppable force, rampaging through any brave enough to confront her.

Quinn, while not as flashy as her Demacian companions, fought just as hard. She dodged and weaved between the thrusts and swipes of spectre-like swords and blades, shooting arrows as she went. From time to time, Valor would swoop down from the sky, squawking as he raked his talons along the ethereal flesh of the enemy. Ghost after ghost fell from her assault, and soon, her arrows littered the ground among the mountain of broken and bloody blades dropped from the hands of the fallen.

But despite their best efforts, it seemed as if there was simply no end to the undead horde that kept streaming into the courtyard. For every two that Quinn pierced or that Valor ripped apart, dozens of new ones kept lumbering in to take their place. And while these soldiers were not particularly skilled, they far outnumbered Quinn and her allies. Ionian after Ionian fell, the young men of the guard unable to withstand the relentless assault on their position. The fight seemed hopeless, but the courageous Demacians fought on.

Suddenly, Quinn whirled around in time to see a group of large ethereal warriors, their large blades gleaming as they ran towards Shyvana who had her back turned, busy pulverizing another enemy into the ground. Quickly, the scout threw a glance around. Delancey and Jarvan were both busy with their own problems, barely fending off the ghostly horde that swarmed them from all sides.

She would have to play the hero here.

"Shyvana!" Quinn called, her warning echoing to the ears of the dragoness. The red haired woman turned just in time to avoid a swung of a blade that had been but aimed for her neck. She ducked and lunged, mashing the group of ghosts as if they had been made form nothing more but clay.

But before the scout could celebrate her short-lived victory, she felt a hard object struck her from behind, sending her tumbling to the ground. As she twisted her head frantically to attempt to catch a glimpse of the figure who struck her down, she winced, sharp pain flaring in her shoulders from where she had been hit. But before she could inspect it, a pale boot stomped on her hand, causing her to cry out in pain.

Looking up, Quinn found herself staring into the sunken, empty eyes of one of the soldiers. It grinned a ghastly smile her as she shuddered, savoring the moment in which he bathed before he was to take her life. Rotten teeth and loose skin filled her vision. Drawing a curved blade from its belt, the undead man prepared to claim her life as his own, cackling as he did so. Valor screeched in the distance, but Quinn knew that he was too far to help her.

This was it. This was how it would end.

 _Talon….._

"QUINN!"

She recognized the voice as the prince's but it was far too late now. He was simply not close enough. But she found comfort in knowing the fact that she would die a warrior's death.

 _I'm sorry….Talon._

The pale blade hurtled downwards, making a beeline for her exposed neck.

For a moment, Quinn swore that time stopped. She could hear the sounds of her own heartbeat, hear the sounds of Jarvan's breath as he exhaled, and hear the sounds of swords clattering to the ground. And above all, she thought she heard the sound of an all too familiar cloak whipping against the wind, an almost _friendly_ blade being drawn.

And then, she heard nothing more.

* * *

 _Spooky_ _right!? C:_

 _Anyways, I hope that chapter enjoyable for you to read. I will certainly try my best to get the next one out as soon as possible, but I will always go for quality over quantity._

 _Maybe if Miss Yaoi Hands didn't try to get me to watch so many K pop videos this might go a bit faster...xd_

 _Let me know what you guys thought of the chapter and maybe some improvements or suggestions?! I'm always open to ideas._

 _-Until Next Time,_

 _C. Geng_


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